Recent line drawings: Spawn

Samples of line drawings from my most recent assignment the Spawn comic book.

Recent Digital Paintings

These are unfinished digital paintings started this weekend. (June 27-29) Looking at my portfolio I realized a lack of digitals with environs. So I started a batch of digitals. These are all done in Photoshop 6 (Just got comfortable with this version) on a tablet PC.

Spawn Art Process...222...Final Drawings...

Now once the layouts are approved the final drawings are done with an eye to closely follow the approved layouts because copy space is so important to Todd when he scripts. So whatever "space" we give in the layouts must be apparent in the final drawings. During the layout phase while Todd and I are talking he goes into great detail regarding alot of the minute detail he'd like to see in the final drawing, it's mood, it's intent. Sometimes like an animator he voice enacts the scene for me...suffice it to say these are long conversations and I have been told all of these conversations are recorded on tape...attached are various pages from #191 and a feww close-ups to show the care I take in the details...Whilce...

Spawn Art Process...step 111 Layouts...

Every page of Spawn is first realized in layouts of which then long phone conversations are had going back and forth between Todd and Myself regarding composition and pacing before they are finally approved by Todd. Attached are scans of Greg's approved layouts from #191. To save time on the schedule Greg and I split the layouts for this issue. As you can see Greg has a true artist touch that even in his quick layouts you can see perfect flow and form. Not all artist including myself can so easily do such precise layouts. My layouts are just rough representations of what goes where with no real indication of poses or form. Layouts in their true essence are just to communicate composition and placement of basic forms before time and care are taken in doing the final drawings. I include Greg's layouts here so that the non-artist can readily see what these layouts are conveying, and to show Greg's real artist touch...

Francis Magalona...

The Three Stars and the Sun...

Da Man and his fans...

That night in a club in Manila where our friendship started...

A good man has left this life...a good man and a good friend. So long ago to remember we met in a club in Manila. He was a comics fan, that night I became a fan of his "The Man from Manila". He was a crafter of words and thoughts. His lyrics gave his fans a mirror to watch themselves from.


A true creative giant captures the breath of life around him. He not only told of the societal ills that plagued our country and all other cultures but he also raised pride in being Pinoy, where there was so little. His songs like "Mga Kababayan ko" and "The Three Stars and the Sun" gave rallying cries to a generation. I was raised in the United States and was not aware of my heritage, Francis opened my eyes. He showed all around him that a Pilipino could be gracious, strong, gentle, and kind. He sold us on the fact that you could be all that and that you should be all that.


His long marriage to his beautiful wife Pia and his wonderfully bright children (all eight of them last I counted) are a testimony to his power to give and provide. He was always bright and warm and his family mirrored that. After a long eventful life as a poet, a man, a rapper, an actor, an entertainer, an idol/role model, a producer, a film maker, a businessman , an award winning shutterbug, a collector, a dad, a husband, and a devoted friend...my friend Francis Magalona went to meet his beloved maker...peace, my friend, I will visit you wherever you lay when I come home...Whilce...

http://francismagalona.multiply.com/journal

First attempts at speed painting...

Your Power...get out the vote...

During San Diego COMICCON I took time out to film a PSA with a good friend Patricio Ginelsa the director of the "Bebot" video for Apl from the Black Eyed Peas.

The commercial features myself and a famous Pinay DJ Kuttin Kandi and basically revolves around the idea that if you were born with our talent you wouldn't just waste it by not ever using it, just like you should not waste your vote...it is your right to vote...use it...

A brilliant concept conceived by a brilliant talent that people should watch out for in the future...Patricio Ginelsa. We've had long involved conservations about every topic under the sun, this is a penetrating mind with big things in his path.

Click the link below and watch the different versions of the PSA and browse his site and enjoy the other videos he's done...Whilce

http://www.kidheroes.net/yourpower/

Below is the version of the PSA soloing myself...

YOUR POWER (Whilce Portacio PSA) from Kid Heroes on Vimeo.

Next is the main PSA including DJ Kuttin Kandi...

YOUR POWER (Main PSA) from Kid Heroes on Vimeo.

Drawing I contributed to the Calgary CON...

Thank you to now great friends Kandrix and Laurie...my family had such a wonderful time at the CON and then the vacation with friends after the CON in Banf...my girls will never forget the snow and the moose...uh, reigndeer...I advise everyone to go to this CON and to this wonderful town and become friends with Kandrix the promoter and his beautiful wife Laurie the artist my girls love...cheers....Whilce...

Drawing of the Clown's face from Spawn...drawn on a tablet PC...

Spawn with Todd is back...

As reported by Wizard and Newarama I am the new artist on Spawn. Brian Holguin will come back as writer. And as a happy surprise Todd Mcfarlane comes back to the book. He will co write with Brian and he will collaborate with me on the art. I do most of the art but Todd will make a pass on my pencils so it will be a collaboration.

With this we have three pro's only interested in telling a new story. There will be a new guy in the foreground but everything else will be the same world we know and love. I liken it to the fact that thruout all these years the Spawn universe has been expanded by the comic book and the toyline but because of the nature of Al Simmons who is basically a private person we have only seen this big bad world that is the Spawn Universe but in glimpse's. Now for the first time we will be given a situation that will allow us to explore every corner of this vast Universe.

So it is new and all the same in the same package...it promises to be a fun ride...will keep you posted...you can also check out its official site...http://endgame.spawn.com/...Whilce...

Image is Back...

Hey, this year see's me officially coming back to Image as a founding member. We got together for the first time in ten years at San Diego CON last year and then at Atomic Comics in Phoenix and again in Chicago and San Diego CON's this year. I can gladly report we're still the same tho' maybe a bit more thoughtful and driven because we all have family's.

This past San Diego CON saw us revealing a brand new Jam Piece with all our characters and announcing a six issue cross-over for late next year being written by our newest member Robert Kirkman. For this project I have created an all new character called "Fortress". He will play a prominent role in the end of the crossover so my issue will be the last one.

Fortress is a character design I created a long time ago while I was in the Philippines. In fact it was gonna be a local comic book there and to be drawn by none other then Lienil Yu who was my student at the time. I have a watercolor/pen and ink pinup by Lienil back then so I guess you can say I already have a variant cover...so I just updated it for today and here he is. He will see life sometime the end of next year.

The main interesting thing about this project which cuts it apart from others is that thruout all six issues every instance Fortress appears he will be drawn by myself, that goes for all the other characters, Todd will draw every Spawn thruout all six issues while drawing one full issue himself.

I'll keep you posted of the progress of this book. Tho' I am now told that there will be a website posted specifically for this book and will have access by all six of us to post our updates as the project rolls along...keep ya posted...

I am also now the official artist on Spawn...leave the details to the next post...Whilce...

Hello Again...

Been away for awhile now but I'm back. It's been quite a ride the last few months. Been real busy with more projects than I could have expected. But I'm back to the board so to speak and now can tell you about most of them, there are still a few I can't yet mention but there is plenty to talk about so in the next few post I'll individually chat about what I've been up to...Whilce...

More ink samples done in Alias Sketchbook...

Here's the image on the laptop in prior post...

This is done on my Tablet PC in Alias Sketchbook. I've finally mastered the inkbrush tool and it gives me lines I am having a hard time reproducing in real life. And it is extremely quick to do. I don't do any finished penciling at all and with the undo key and the eraser onboard the tablet pen I do all corrections on the fly immediately as I make them. I am seriously thinking about inking professionally with the computer.

Testing for the New Year...

Here's to the new year. I've got a new phone with a 3M camera, a new tablet PC computer, and a webcam, all to better update this site...oh and most important a new huge project for this whole year that I’ll soon be able to chat about...2008 already looks to be a great year...