Lindsay Francis Brambles
Step-by-step: Green Arrow -- inspired by DC Comics Bombshells
In continuing my tribute to DC Comics Bombshells series, I’m creating my own versions of the pin-up inspired superheroes (choosing characters that are either obscure or have not yet appeared in the series). In this instance I’ve opted to re-imagine the Green Arrow, only I’ve done a bit of gender-bending here and made Oliver Queen into Olivia Queen. Let’s just say she’s the alternate universe version of the Emerald Archer and more in keeping with the Bombshells ethos which focuses primarily on female heroes and villains.
Once again, this is done in the pin-up style, with allusions to the splash pages of Golden Age comics. The work is a mixed media piece, with the figure rendered in colour pencil and much of the background done with markers. I used Prismacolor Premier series colour pencils and a Prismacolor blender. The markers are primarily Artist’s Loft dual tip water colour markers – although I did use some Sharpies. The paper is Canson Mixed Media 33.5cm X 43.2cm (14in X 17in) 160g (98 lbs).
Below you will find a step-by-step of the creation of the poster.
The Step-by-step
It starts with the initial sketch, getting the positioning and pose set. This is very rough.
Once the rough is done with, I clean it up and start work toward a more finished sketch.
More detail is added and some hints of shading and highlight.
The background is cleaned up a little and refined a bit more and the Bombshells logo is roughed in.
The Green Arrow logo is roughed in and the base colours are started.
More of the base colour, using colour pencil.
Some shading and highlights are added and blended.
With the face and hair largely done, the costume is started.
The costume colours are blended, shaded, and highlighted.
Work starts on the boots -- blending, shading, and highlighting.
With the figure largely complete, work is started on the background, using the Artist's Loft water colour markers.
The logos are completed in marker.
The final part of the background is begun, using the markers.
Windows in the skyscrapers are blacked out in a random pattern for effect.
The completed poster (with some final little tweaks).