My Back Pages, Part I
- danielcolincheesem
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
I've been making art all my life, but it was nearly twenty years ago, just after I'd finished university, that I started drawing every day in earnest. I needed something relaxing that also gave me a sense of purpose. I also wanted to improve enough to share my work and bask in that rare feeling of others thinking you are good at something (Many artists are embarrassed to admit that this is part of their motivation).
I'd been struggling to teach myself technical drawing, when I rediscovered my love of comics and found that drawing people, especially in a comic book style, suited my nascent skills much better. Copying is an important step in every artist's journey, and I swiftly learnt that the most satisfying art to copy was that of Jim Lee.
Jim Lee
As a lifelong Batman fan, it was preordained that I would become a fan of Jim Lee's. The current President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics rose to prominence because of his singularly incredible, detailed, powerful artworks. His mastery of anatomy and how it can be manipulated to create an extraordinary comics page is second to none. All of this, he applied to Batman: Hush (2002), All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder (2005) and Justice League (2011).
Obviously, my copying didn't compare to the real thing (I also didn't have inker Scott Williams and colourist Alex Sinclair enhancing my work with their exceptional craftsmanship), but with every picture I learned and improved.
Jim Lee's approach to lighting and cross-hatching is something that often carries through into my original works.
As my skills progressed over the years, I sometimes attempted the same subject twice:
Inevitably, my favourite Jim Lee art is of the Caped Crusader. I even have a Jim Lee print of Batman hanging in my office.
Thank you for joining me for Part I; See you soon for Part II! 😊
Comments