I usually get Spider-Man Noir commissions, which I love. But here’s what I love even more: drawing other characters! Yesterday, Troy contacted me for a new commission. He asked me to draw a Venom. Alright. And then I thought: “let’s document this!”. So here’s my process (almost) step by step.
Step 1
Finding an idea and laying out the character. Sometimes, fans will come with a very precise idea of what they want. Sometimes… They’ll just let artists surprise them. Usually, when I’m on my own, like here, I start by browsing the internet. My best buddy: Pinterest! There are tons of inspirations on there. In this case, I had in mind an old Captain America cover from the 1968 (issue #109). I wanted to do something like that with Venom. But the deal was to draw a bust shot, not the full character. So I adapted it. I started with a red pencil. I like the red pencil better than the Col-Erase blue that many artist have adopted. Just a personal choice.
Step 2
Inking! That’s my favorite part. I always loved inking. It’s soothing. Great to help me relax and refocus. It’s also the most time-consuming part… Especially with a character like Venom where you have a lot of large black areas.
Step 3
Shading. I always stress out the fact that I’m not very good at coloring. So I keep it simple and usually turn to shades of grey to give a special flavor to my pieces.
Finitto? Yes! That wasn’t hard at all. It just took 3hrs to complete and Troy is very happy. You liked what you see? You want your own commission? You can order one directly here: www.fairsquarecomics.com/store
To be continued…
–Fabrice
