From the Unfinished Files - Batman!

Another unfinished piece, from 'Batman' week - this was my rough, but the 'finished' piece seemed to lose everything I liked about the rough, so I dropped the whole thing in what could only be described as a 'tantrum'.  Here it is, for the first time anywhere, Unfinished Batman!

Heart of Ice

My favorite cartoon ever is Batman the Animated Series.

Harley Quinn-Up

I chose Harley Quinn this week, mostly because I know my wife likes her and because I got a lot of requests for her when we did the Batman week. Enjoy!

//Two-Face

Here's my piece for Batman.  Initially, I'd wanted to go with Commissioner Gordon, but I had recently seen the two-part Two-Face origin episode from Batman: The Animated Series and just had to go with this.  I'm thinking of enlarging this and transferring to a large canvas for a traditional oil painting (but that probably will never happen--haha).

Calendar Man

Here's my Calendar Man. I put up a Facebook post looking for suggestions with an original art incentive. Luke Henderson was pulled from the hat and this Calendar Man will be his.

Batman-quick and dirty

Well as usual I didn't have much time this week for extras but I haven't posted in a while and it WAS my pick so I sketched this up real quick. I do manage to stop in and see everyone's entries and I love what i've been seeing. So much talent in this group and it just keeps growing.
~Matt

Batgirl

Kind of cheating on this one because I did this at Galaxy Fest.. and still haven't finished it. But I'm posting it anyway.

Kittylady....

I did Catwoman for this weeks pick. I’ve never drawn her before so that was fun. Well I guess this is more my version of her on the tumbler, none of it is accurate to the movie as I didn’t want to hunt down a pic and just draw that. Still after watching all of those movies I felt there were some interesting sort of homage moments to AKIRA in certain scenes. Kind of bizarre but it’s not the first time the bat has done it. Hell if you want a real weird tie in Katsuhiro Otomo has even done a short black and white Batman story for DC. Anyhow, after Kevin and I saw the Movie on Sunday he was saying the only reason why I liked Catwoman was because they had her on the tumbler…gotta say it was a good call on Nolan’s part in my book! LOL

Anyhow I think I’m going to frame the line art for this one and do it up for the charity auction coming up. Bring on the BATS folks!!!! :D

~Don

Couldn't find a design that I liked.  So I slammed a few different designs together. I want to repost this after I throw some color on it.

My Bats

My all time favorite incarnation of Batman hands down was the 90's animated series. I think that show perfectly balanced all the elements of Batman without going to far into the dark and grim Batman or to far into the Adam West kind of goofiness of Batman (which I also love). It kept the sensibility of the comics while making it a bit darker but keeping Batman firmly rooted as a hero. That is my Batman. I love the silly outrageousness of that character in his world. I like seeing Jokers ridiculous schemes or the batwing resembling a bat. Part of the reason I love Batman is because he is so flexible as a character that he can be utilized in so many different ways and I do enjoy some of the darker takes on him but in the end he is a super hero and I think some of the super has been missing from him recently.

My Batman isn't really based on a particular artist more like the way I think of him. There are certain characters that when I think of them I see a particular artists take on them IE Spider-Man is Mark Bagely or Todd McFarlane, Wolverine is Frank Miller and Ghost Rider is Mark Teixeira but Batman I just see a look and have a feeling of what I think he is and I tried to capture that the best I could here.

"ManBat"

UPDATE: I'm donating this to All C's "Aurora Rise Benefit Event". It will be part of their silent auction. See https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aurora-Rise-Benefit-Event/479465245414113 for more info on the event.

"ManBat" ... colored pencil on 12"x16" Canson Mi-Teintes paper by Robert Elrod.

The Batman I grew up with...

I love Batman. He's been my favorite superhero since I was a kid. There have been alot of versions since I was 10 years old, picking up Detective Comics from the spinner rack at the local 7-Eleven, then riding home to emerse myself in the stories and artwork. But the version that continues to stick with me the most is the one from my childhood days...The Norm Breyfogle Batman; THAT is MY Batman. Bar none.

Seems to me, the stories focused on Batman being a hero...a SUPER-hero. Fighting the bad guys, saving the innocent, and using his brain to track down clues and work out mysteries. Superheroes back then were somewhat magical.

They were a pinnacle that we couldn't achieve. They were always up on that pedistal, always to be looked up to. It was the fantasy, that thing to aspire to but never reach.

I miss those superheroes.

Today, we get EMO, dark and moody. And just as broken as the rest of us. We get reality, in a sense, as no one can be so flawless. It seems some people like that; and in all honesty, I get enjoyment from these new stories, too. They are entertaining. I just miss that fantasy, that escapism, that came as a 10 year old reading a comic. And I'm a little sad that my son won't get to experience that as well.

So here's my tribute to that great era of comics, and a hope that someday we can return to it.

Cheers
Patrick