It’s such a pleasure to work from life. Here are three charcoal (and a bit of conte) drawings from this week.
(Click and click again to make big)
More naked people holding still while I stare at them.
All posts by Steve Lieber
Life drawing at Hipbone.
It’s always such a pleasure to put my comics and agency work aside and do a few hours of drawing a model from life. Here in Portland, we’re lucky enough to have Hipbone, a drop-in life-drawing studio. I went last night with Erika Moen and Tina Kim and had a great time. Here’s a few of the more finished drawings. (Fist click brings up a small image that you’ll have to click again to make bigger. I need to figure out the new wordpress gallery interface.)
Off to Algeria
Sunday morning I’m off to the city of Algiers in (where else?) Algeria, where I’ll be a featured guest at FIBDA: the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Alger . I don’t know how regularly I’ll be able to get online, but I’ll do my best to post notes, observations, and anecdotes to my twitter and google plus pages. I’m also hoping to not make a stellar gathering of international comics talent think I’m a total dink. We’ll see how it goes!
Birthday today.
I’m 44 and I’m happier than I ever expected to be. I love my wife, my job, my studio/substitute family, and my city.
I don’t want any presents. The best thing I could get for today is a whole bunch of new readers. If you haven’t picked it up yet, go download my comic Underground for free and read it. Pass it along if you like it!
Thunderbolts/ Luke Cage pinup for Periscope’s weekly challenge
Periscope Studio has started up a weekly(?) art challenge on our tumblr site. This week is sketches of Marvel Comics’ Thunderbolts in its current mode as written by Jeff Parker. I decided to go for a big shot of the group’s leader, Luke Cage, calmly explaining something to a robot. Click the image to embiggenize.
The original art is available at the Periscope Etsy store.
Pin-up for Poison the Cure.
Portland’s Alex Cahill and Jad Ziade have a new issue of Poison the Cure coming out soon. Here’s a pin-up I’ve drawn for them of their character Miguel in his dream-state Aztec-warrior aspect.
New Avengers cover for the Hero Initiative.
Here’s my contribution for the latest Hero Initiative charity auction. You can see great pieces by lots of other artists at The Hero Initiative’s New Avengers 100 page.
Thank you Portland Opera!
I was one of the many local cartoonists lucky enough to attend the dress rehearsal of Portland Opera and Body Vox Dance Company‘s staging of Pagliacci and Carmina Burana. There are a ton of great sketches online already: Erika Moen, Ron Chan, Natalie Nourigat, and Mike Russell. Lots more coming, too. Watch twitter for the #pdxoperacomics tag.
The night was spectacular, starting with appetizers at Mortons and a fascinating tour backstage. I loved both shows, and the transition between the two was beautifully handled. I doodled all through the performances, but didn’t produce much worth showing. I’d brought tinted charcoal paper thinking I could do some nifty things picking out highlights with white conte, but the combination of a dark room and low contrast paper made it virtually impossible to see what I was doing. One sketch came out okay, the rest, ehhh.
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My drawing for Wonder Woman Day 2010
I’m contributing to Wonder Woman Day 2010 an all-ages benefit and celebration for domestic violence programs, including Bradley Angle and others. They always get a ton of terrific art, and they’ll be selling the originals by silent auction. Here’s mine!
Thor sketch.
Sketch of Marvel Comics’ Thor in his original Jack Kirby costume, drawn mostly in airports across these great United States. The original is available for sale in Periscope’s Etsy store.
Underground paperback review roundup
“Wesley is earnest, human, and just plain likable, as is her fellow ranger/boyfriend. I won’t spoil the unusual dangers of the cave they are in, but it makes for some daunting and eerie moments.The bad guys aren’t bland either; they are similarly full of nuance and personality, especially amusing when abrasive (making them excellent villains). Their boss is delightfully scummy as well. The ending of the action was great…”
Under the Radar
” Believable and likable characters propel this fast moving tale. Parker presents the separate viewpoints of the factions in an informed manner while successfully maintaining Fischer as the sympathetic protagonist. Lieber’s excellent storytelling and vibrant art really shines, especially in the tense underground chase scenes, where he expertly combines peril with wonder. ”
Rick Klaw at the SF Site
“Underground is one of those rare finds that comic book reviewers crow about. Adding to the atmosphere of the series is the dynamic coloring that pulls readers into the subterranean world of caves that feels so full of possibility and drama that the cinematic air of the series comes alive.”
Daily Pop
“Those of us who are always demanding clever, tough ladies in lead roles will enjoy meeting cave geek Wesley Fischer, and those of you who want exciting comics without superheroes and lasersharking will be equally happy.”
Not Falling Down
You can get Underground from your local comic shop, or by mail from Things From Another World There might also be a few autographed copies left in Periscope Studio’s Etsy store.
Doing lots of storyboards.
At Periscope studio in Portland, storyboards are a big part of what we do. Most of them are under NDA of course, and others wouldn’t make any sense outside of the context for which they were drawn, but you can see some recent work in my storyboard gallery.
The Underground tpb, it IS in stores. Really. For Real.
I’ve seen copies. Held them in my hand. Even sketched in one that was waiting for the buyer to get it from his pull-box. So you can totally ask for it at your local shop. And if they don’t have it in stock, you can get a (signed! sketched!) copy from Periscope’s Etsy store. I’ll make Parker and Chan sign it, too.
In other news, I am old. Many thanks to everyone for your kind wishes!
Underground sketch
Since the Underground trade paperback is supposed to be shipping this week, I thought now would be a good time to put this piece up:
It’s Wes, working her way up a serious vertical climb. For me, sketching doesn’t get much more enjoyable than this. I could draw that every day.
Recent sketches
Between tabling at conventions, sitting in waiting rooms, and hanging out with visiting cartoonist friends, I’ve finally had the chance to finish some pieces for the Periscope Studio Etsy store. By the time you read this, some of these will probably be sold, but you can follow the link to see which ones are left, and wince at the lunatic self-regard implicit in the pricing. While you’re there, take a look at what other studio members have contributed!
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