This year I was commissioned by a follower to make several Marvel Superhero themed illustrations featuring two iconic characters engaged in epic battle. The first one requested was the OG, Hulk versus General Thunderbolt Ross, the Red Hulk. It's one of those iconic mash ups that the fans delight to see on the comic book page. Hopefully my drawing captures the magic.
The Wire Frame
If my memory serves me right, this is actually the first time I have ever drawn the Incredible Hulk. I was fortunate enough to draw not just one Hulk, but two! I didn't use my regular stick figure skeletal structure for the Hulks but rather opted to make circles and curved lines to give the basic frame and shape of these behemoths.
The Sketch
My sketch is messy on purpose. I wanted this image to be full of action and debris from the destruction caused by their duel. I con't claim to be an expert of physical anatomy, but I did my best to draw the muscles in their right places, abiet exaggerated in size. There's something about Hulk's face that can look just right, or completely wrong. It's not just a big, green version of Bruce Banner. I think his nose and his lips are more neanderthal is design. His eyes, too, need to remain smaller though the rest of his head gets bigger.
The Line Art
True to most superhero comics in the West, I decided to make the dramatic shading a part of the line art. I wouldn't mind taking a few drawing courses in light, shadow, and contrast. Again, I did my best to give it the look but a part of me feels like it was nothing more than imitation. I consider myself a comic artist, but I have never worked for Marvel or DC, nor does my style even resemble the characteristic black and white aesthetic.
The Flat Colors
The background is relatively simple considering the amount of debris there really should be. I don't worry about the texture or detail so much at this stage. That lets me get away with the simple shapes and solid colors. Both Hulks are simple in their color palettes.
The Finished Illustration
I did not use my usual cel-style shading technique for this one. I opted for textures brushes instead of using hard lines. I used several of my grunge texture photographs to overlay over the background. I did apply subtle color holds, which means the lineart is not 100% black but slightly colored. Finally, I applied a zoom blur on a copy of the image and erased parts of it so that Hulk feels more in focus, being the one in the forefront.
