Vintage Black Label

My friend Greg's business, Vintage Black label, is all about vintage fashion finds. But now he's expanded into new clothing made from vintage table cloths. As a belated gift I'm doing fashion illustrations of his line, that he can use to promote on Instagram.

Storm Gala

I got caught up in designing alternative gala outfits for more X-men. This is a detail for Storm, whose look I only partly like since it's basically a new costume with added details, but ultimately not anything fresh so far as design. But I'm not posting the full look yet because I have a sneaking suspicion that my designs are being copied!

This is America, Done

 I think this final version of his face will be it. I kept going on and on with it, making almost a dozen versions but this one, while it doesn't feel perfect. feels better. And the client loves it so, yay.

Pelvic, Done

I posted this version on Instagram so I thought it best to add it here too.

Give Her The Boot

There's a part of me that will always feel like I never got the chance to be acknowledged for my costume design work, so when i see stuff like the Hellfire Gala designs making the rounds, I get annoyed because so much of the costume design work is just underwhelming. I mean, they were basically just costumes with more doodads and details glommed on, and often not very well, IMHO. If they were doing a gala, you'd think they'd wear stuff that celebratory, and perhaps impractical (like Emma has done, and tose kind of worked) because their main point is to look great and be festively creative. So I'd been designing some looks for Magik, as previously seen, but also for Storm and Cylcops, at my friend Justin's suggestion. This is one of my throwaway designs which I warming up to, using only Storm's old boot as the design motif inspiration for the whole gown. It's so silly to think about that as the inspiration, but we've been having a cutout fashion moment in the past few years anyhow, so all that old Dave Cockrum/Legion stuff looks fresh again.

Pelvic 2

Of course, now that I started it, the quick throwaway sketch is being scrutinized as a possible more finished piece to post on IG. So I'm retooling some of the anatomy and wondering if I should have him looking away...?

Pelvic

I was looking at a lot of pics online at one of my fave message boards, and it struck me that it's been more and more about large obliques in the past few years, so much so that the George of a maybe 5 years ago or more might have been a bit put off, becausew the scale of the new aesthetic is something that wasn't desirable before. I suppose it comes from more and more guys really developing their abs. Anyhow, this was a quick sketch with that in mind.

This is America, 3

The client liked the draft, now I just need to like the likeness. I'm making progress but I'm surprised I'm not getting it sooner or easier. Ah well, always a process. But the composition I think is working.

This is America, 2

I have to say, I'm liking how this is turning out. It feels like the classic mid-Century illustrations I admire.

This is America

My client's name is actually America, and this is the first post of his commissioned portrait.

Hudson Whales 3

The two whales I posted previously I put in a gift bag for our hosts when I went up to our friends Tessy and Jay, as hostess gifts. This third one Greg chose to keep in the house next to a Robert janitz painting in the same purple shades.

Hudson Whales 2

And the second in the series up in Hudson.

Hudson Whales

I went up to Hudson yesterday, my first trip out of NYC since the pandemic began, in what I hope will be a therapeutic departure from my pandemic-borne OCD. I brought some watercolors to sketch and paint while up here and, in theme with Hudson which used to be a whaling town, I painted some whales. This is the first.

Cyclops Formal 2

I think part of the problem with these Gala designs in the comics, are they're little more than gussied up costumes, and most of them are terrible in my opinion, esp. for the guys. These aren't much better, but I'm still in the process.

Cyclops Formal

What would Scott Summers wear to a gala? Recalling the times that Paul Smith drew him in casual wear, he was kind of a normal guy, with a laid back sensibility. So the idea of a gala and outrageous clothing—feels out of place for him. Granted, he's gotten a bit more personality since then, but he isn't the kind of character who would go for showy clothing. Besides, the crazy outfits get photographed at the MET Gala, but there are a ton of regular guys in tuxes too. So I'm trying to think of how he would be best designed for. These are some beginning croquies (is that the spelling fore the plural of croquis?).

Fashion Forms

Zara had a nice collection image that included a few models walking around in a room (as is oft their wont) and I liked the attitude of one of them so I studied it, shut it off, then drew it from memory.

Stormy Gown

Thought I'd take a stab at a Hellfire Gala outfit for Storm. This isn't right, but a start.

YSL-y

I was reading a magazine and I saw a crop of a pose that I thought would make a good drawing, then I realize as I was fleshing it out that it resembled the famous YSL nude.

Race Bannon 2

As I developed his face, I wondered if he should sport a broken nose since he was such a rough and tumble kind of guy? Or so I imagined. I thought maybe he had a colored past, hence his being Benton Quest's perfect Man Friday who can get into a scrap at a moment's notice.

Up, Lift Done

It's funny how much retooling happens on a face when it's the only thing you're posting. Or, if you're me. Because inventing faces, I'm torn between what looks right, and what might *be* right anatomically, which is all supposition on my part since I'm drawing with out a reference.

Face Wipe

One of my favorite things in the gym (as I was earlier today) is when hot guys use their shirts as face towels. I don't know if they are actually being exhibitionists and using the opportunity to show off their abs, or if it's really just a somewhat loutish act not using a proper towel. Either way, I'm all for it if the guys have great abs like the guys I saw doing this at the gym today (and other days!).

Casual Croquis

I'm a bit sad I didn't take note of this brush's name as now I can't find it to use it again! But it inspired a harder edge line for this drawing, which turned out rather nicely, I think. I think the stance is nicely balanced considering I didn't belabor the croquis as much. Hmm, maybe I'm improving?

More Magik

I'm still trying to come to grips with this costume. I like it but I feel like it's plagued with doodads and a lack of focus. Do you look at the boob window? The large swathe of bare midriff? The shoulder mace? The gigantic belt buckle? There are just too many foci features that the whole look is overdone, yet the basic silhouette is nice. I eliminated the boob window first, and I think that that already feels better on the right figure.

Smoking Suit 2

Because I'm making up the face, I have redone it several times now, and I see elements I like in each one, so I'm kinda torn which direction to go. Oh the hazards of multiple options with digital sketching...!

Smoking Suit

I'm not sure how this started, but I got an image in my head of a shirtless guy wearing a suit (after a post from a blog I follow, My New Plaid Pants, posted a whole slew of celebs smoking and one of them was wearing a suit without a shirt) but in a way that had a bit of modern model angst in the pose/expression. So this is the start of the face.

80s Shoulders for the New 20s

I like this sketch because it's so immediate—I think I did it in 2 minutes. It was a test image for me to try and channel an old style I did in 2014, for a client that wanted that style for his commission.

That's a Wrap (Too)

My friend Ernie was sent a bag o f clothing that the sender wanted him to photograph 'in a cool way'—vague, yeah, I know. He had a shot with some plaid fabric on his head, so I suggested he do a semi-revealing shot with it wrapped around his waist. This was the acompanying sketch.

Umbrella + Butt

It rained all day today in New York, and when I looked out my window this afternoon there was a guy on the street below me wearing an all-black outfit with white sneakers, partially obscured by a turquoise umbrella. I liked his silhouette with the pop of color, and thought it could be a quick drawing. But when I worked out the anatomy underneath his clothing to render the form properly, I ended up abandoning the clothing entirely lol

I've gone through so many iterations of this drawing because I didn't have a proper reference for the leg position, esp since I was shading it somewhat realistically. It doesn't feel right to me, but I just published it anyhow.

Race Bannon

Now I'm obsessed with getting Race right. And wondering if I should do him in his classic outfit, or update it to something more modern and sexy, but reminiscent of his original look (which I love, since it's a bit fashion-y for the time it was created)

Jonny Q 3

I drew Race the way I usually draw my guys, but I realized I needed to make him more classically mid Century American, i.e. squarer jaw and more chin-heavy. Perhaps the features I draw are more European? I have no idea. But I realized he might have to look more like the ideal Superman or Doc Savage kind of face. This is a step in that direction, but I think more work needs to be done.

Jonny Q 2

I decided to draw Race. Think I might as well do the whole family.

Jonny Q

 I saw someone post old character pages for Jonny Quest, one of my favorite cartoons growing up. It felt like the most adult series back when (plus I had a huge crush on Race Bannon, Jonny's dad Benton Quest's "Man Friday" although I'm sure there are many fan fics about how Race is Benton's man every other day...and possibly nights! Anyhow, I decided to use the Badass Brush Inker again resulting in a chunky ink line that I kinda like.

O Face

After a week of heavy lifing in fashion illustration, I wanted to do something sexy but didn't actually want to draw a body...so I thought, how about I try drawing someone's O face...without copying a photo. Can't say I nailed it but it's probably worth developing further...

BxS Collab 4

Another sketch made for an older direction, now rejected, so it's mine to keep. I modified it so as to be more generic for the client's 'safety'