SRB Productions, Inc.

Darker than Noir Cover

2011-06-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

06/19/2011

Howdy all!! Long time no see. I decided to write a quick blog post pertaining to how the book cover for Grand Mal Press' upcoming novella "Darker than Noir" was created. The book is not set to be released anytime soon; however a preview, featuring the cover, is available to the public. As promised to a couple of fans, here is my process for creating the illustration. First off let me start by saying that this piece was created using Corel Painter XI, using a Cintiq 21 WX Tablet, and took a total of 22 hours.

In the first image we have the composition drawn using a pen and then scanned. Once the image was loaded, I was having a hard time determining how the face of the detective should look, so I shaded in an overall tone to help my painting which was also done on the hand. Since it is digital, drawing on the sketch does not hinder the painting, as we can just delete that layer once it no longer has a purpose. Now we can move on to the painting!!

Due to my eyesight, I start all my paintings in Black & White. I lay in my pure blacks, which has become something I love in illustrations. A sense of contrast between the pure black and white has sort of become of my thing. I know that many say there are no pure blacks and whites in the real world. I really dont care, it looks slick.

Once most of my tones are in place I start to work on the details, focusing on the shirt, glass, pistol, and the shades in the background. I still have not spent a tone of time blending or anything, just big simple blocks of tone.

After about 10 hours we have the final black and white version of the painting. The edges have been cleaned, horizontal slices have been added to give a classic noir feel, and we ghouled up the female character. I originally painted her as a clean upstanding woman who was supposed to consol our detective. Once it was in place it threw off the concept, so I gave her some scars. Originally there were mere drying mascara tracks, however it turned into skin peeling off and cracking. Allowing for teeth to be shown in their full glory.

Now that the Black and White painting is in place and everything looks tight, we went ahead and placed some color over the top just to get a sense of the color direction. I always have an idea in my head of what the final image will look like, but you can always surprise yourself with a color that you never thought would work.

After hours of laying colors and blending the blocked tones with a custom natural brush to give a slightly more realistic look, we have our final painted illustration. I hope you enjoyed this post and if you would like more details on the process, let me know. I will be sure to go into more detail on the next post!!

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

How did you break into the comic book industry?

2011-04-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

04/11/2011

How did you break into the comic book industry?

I received this question a couple of weeks ago and had to stop, sit back, and actually ponder regarding how I was capable to compose a carbon footprint on the comic vine.

It all started in senior year of art school. One afternoon, I was working on a project in the corner of the area with my headset on, as customary, trying to acquire as much quality as one could into a painting until the deadline, when one of my friends and fantastic artist Jen Brazas approached me. Tapping my shoulder and point at her recent comic purchase, she wanted to tell me, “Your style really looks like this guys. Do you do comic stuff?”

This hit like a sack of potatoes, I have never done anything directly connected to comics, in fact, till this second of time my main focus for art was going to be en route for magazines and newspapers. Curious, I went around asking people if they believed my style could transfer over toward comic books. The masses responded with a resounding yes!

Well, now comes the tricky part, getting my foot in the door. Not knowing what to do first, I contacted Douglas Klabua, who I had met previously at an event I volunteered for. I asked Doug if we could setup an interview. This was the turning point in my quest, as one day Doug would allow me to have my biggest break.

We discussed everything and anything from digital vs. traditional, time constraints, contracts, and comic styles. This was nothing but sensational, as he gave me so much vital information and a general idea of what a freelance comic illustrator must do to be profitable. He also mentioned that I should attend Comic Con that year.

It was a big investment for a college kid to partake in but I was able to scrounge up enough for a half table and a couple of prints. In order to draw some more attention, a painting was created to have something relevant to the show and the comic community. I painted a Watchman inspired image. It was a huge hit, selling out of prints the first day.

While there I was able to walk around and introduce myself to people, and as I was talking to someone who should stop by and see me, no other than Douglas Klabua. He was checking out the show and was to see myself take the initiative toward the convention. Doug took me around and introduced me to some of his friends and art directors. One being Joe Gentile, Art Director of Moonstone Publishing.

Joe loved my stuff and asked if I was interested in doing cover work sometime. Of course I said yes and the rest was history. So, how did I break into the comic industry? Networking and Exposure. It is simple thing but, in this impersonal world, sometimes a little face to face time can do wonders.

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

The Painter XI Experiment Continues!

2010-10-24T22:00:00.001-07:00

Displayed is Black and White character study. I wanted to create something for the kiddies. Well... that was the original idea and then things went another way. Enjoy!

I started out with a loose pen sketch.

After scanning and setting up for a digital painting, I added a dark tone to the image and then placed my darkest darks and some of the initial highlights.

The next stages, I pushed the values and started to put in various small fine points.

After working on the character for an hour, I decided to push the creep factor and add a teddy bear to the mix.

Next I lowered the eyebrows and lower the shoulder of the character to try to make the characters seem age and tired. Also, a cane has been added. This will remain hazy as I do not want it to draw to much attention.

Next, the fun stuff began I added details. The hair is cleaned up and brought into focus, as well as lighting detail added to the teddy bear just to convey some fur texture.

I will update the blog as I continue to add to the Corel Painter Experiment. Stay posted to see all the updates and check out the rest of my work at srbproductions.net

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

Painter XI Experiment

2010-10-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

For the next 9 weeks, I have decided to devote my time to learning to create digital paintings using Corel Painter XI. On this blog I will display all the steps to completion on all pieces created. The first image I decided to paint is a portrait of Michael Angelo Batio, one of my personal favorite musicians.

Shown is a quick sketch create using pencil, scanned and ready for initial blocking.

Next, I added a darker tone over the entire image. Afterwards I went in with a eraser and created some light highlights, no pure white created. Just a general idea of where the final highlights will lie.

Then I just added more highlights and shadows, really trying to push the contrast. Once I have some of my darkest tones, I start to blend and erase some of my sketch lines.

After several modification and tweaking, displayed is the final tonal value study.

Next I added color, cleaned up the image and here we are. Enjoy!

Stay posted to see all the updates and check out the rest of my work at srbproductions.net

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

SRB Productions, Chicago, IL, Child Book, Fantasy Illustration, Greeting Card, Illustration, Product Illustrator

2010-09-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

SRB Productions, Chicago, IL, Child Book, Fantasy Illustration, Greeting Card, Illustration, Product Illustrator

Rock & Roll Comics: Pink Floyd

2010-09-09T10:44:00.001-07:00

With the upcoming release of Rock & Roll Comics: Pink Floyd on September 21, 2010 I thought I would take a step back and show some of the initial sketches. Shown are three sketches presented to BlueWater Productions. The sketch selected was #2; however my personal favorite was #3. That is how most of these scenarios go, as the clients will choose the sketch you like the least and spent the least time drawing.

After several drawing sessions, pushing away from the hourglass seemed practical as then more could be incorporated into the painting.

Once the comprehensive was approved, the next step was to paint the image. Approximately 35 hours of painting later, here is the final product.

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

2010-09-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

09/08/10

Domino Spider Lady

This blog is to announce to all SRB Production, Inc. followers that the Domino Lady/Spider cross over from Moonstone Publishing has finally been revealed to the general public and on September 29, 2010 it will be available for purchase at retailers. The cover is the new general direction that SRB Productions’ artwork will be going in the future, keeping the same dynamic compositions but with a cleaner, more realistic approach.

Time Management

2010-06-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

A fan of my artwork, an inspire artist herself, asked me how many hours do I put in on a painting. The answer is forty but this got me thinking about the overall concept of time management. As an artist, it is important to stay on schedule and keep ahead of the deadlines. While other may try to rush a job at the last minute to completion, I find that it is more effective to plan a course of action and stick to it.

Since I am mostly a traditionalist, my illustrations require double the allotted time, but by having a Realistic outline all jobs can be completed with ease. Again I state Realistic. Some people promise gold and deliver aluminum. The more conscious of what can be produced the less stressed and profitable you become.

One piece of advise I can give to any artist is form a time log for each client. Write down every occasion work is done on a project. Soon you will be able to figure out exactly how much time it takes to do a specific assignment and if it is worth the money.

If you would like ask Stephen a question, contact him at: stephenbryant@srbproductions.net

“Promise small, Deliver big.”

2010-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

I guess we should get this blog a rollin with a slight description of what I have been working on and the materials that I use. I am a traditional artist who specializes in watercolor and gouache. Now, when it comes to materials I generally stick with Winsor Newton products but break away when it comes to the surface I use. Strathmore 4 ply Bristol Board…I just love the way the paint responds on it. I recommend it to all artists just for an experiment.
Currently I have been working for Moonstone Publishing who produce 50s style comics for a modern audience, as well as other stuff. I enjoy about ninety percent of their back catalog, especially Rotten. It is a traditional Cowpokein, Bank Robbin, preacher screamin Americanized Wild West story…with zombies! Think Deadwood meets Night of the Living Dead. The project I have been assigned to complete is a “super-hero” team up for an upcoming graphic novel. I cannot state any names at this point in time; however I can state that I am responsible for the cover art. The motivating aspect about a small project like this is that it always leads to bigger jobs, if you complete it on time and can deliver twice on what you promised. “Promise small, Deliver big.” –William Bryant
The final comprehensive has been completed and for the past 2 days the new incentive has been painting. The total time thus far has been about 15 hrs of work and the Black and white underpainting will be finished by tomorrow so I can wrap this whole thing up. Well that about does it today as I am trying to keep these short and sweet. Next time I write I shall include some of the images and answer any question I may receive. Signing off.

-Stephen

First Blog!!

2010-01-23T20:23:00.001-08:00

This will be my first blog ever so I guess I should start with the date. It is Jan. 23 2010. This blog will be dedicated to the company Stephen Bryant Productions. Talking about the projects I am working on, release dates, upcoming events and appearance, and whatever happens to be on my mind that day. Also from time to time I will be displaying behind the scenes images of my process. I hope this is a great experiment! Feel free to email me at S1Bryant019@gmail.com/

-Stephen