COLORING JIM LEE'S INFINITE CRISIS #6 COVER

[MattBrady]

Following in the footsteps of Sandra Hope (who outlined her inking process for the cover to Infinite Crisis #6 a week or so back at the Sun of Gelatometti site, colorist Alex Sinclair has posted a step-by-step of how he colored the cover for the penultiamte issue of the miniseries.

Sinclair posted the guide late last week, and we re-present it here for your reading pleasure, and also to get you to check out Sun of Gelattometi more regularly…it’s good stuff.

Onward with Sinclair’s guide. First off, his desk:



Unlike the hardened, tyrant, Sandra Hope, I like to think of the materials I use as tools I do about 99% of coloring on the computer now. I use Adobe Photoshop almost exclusively for coloring, although I have been known to use Corel Painter every now and then to mix it up. I am a Mac freak so I will always recommend a Mac for doing graphics. There WAS a day when Photoshop was not too PC friendly, but those days are long gone.

Here's a pic of my desk and all the tools I use:

1) My Mac. I work on a DuoCore 2.3 G5 with 1.5 gigs of Ram (about a gig of that is dedicated to Photoshop). Just had to buy this puppy to work on the 6-page spread that is appearing in the next issue of All Star BnR.
2) Monitor. Looove the flat-panel! This is a 22" Cinema display.
3) Wacom tablet. I work on a 6"x8" Intuous 3 tablet. I recommend a tablet to anyone trying to do graphics on the computer--worth every penny!
4) Nostromo n52 by Belkin. It's a programmable keypad that was developed mostly for gamers, but I use it for coloring...mostly This one is optional, but my rendering speed has increased since I bought it.
5) External hard drive. I keep double copies of everything I work on 'cause you never know when you're machine's gonna up and croak (knocking on wood). This one's a Lacie 250 Gig-er.
6) iSight. Think I've used this thing twice for video chats. I use it for the microphone/audio chats.
7) DVD collection. My best pal during those long nights when all that's on TV is infomercials I have already memorized and I am in-between Netflix deliveries. Currently viewing them in Alphabetical order (started the B's last night) Geek check...I win!
8) Desk. Best purchase ever. It's an Anthro Console unit. This company makes the best desks IMHO. They are customizable and expandable. Now all I need to figure out is how to fit it in the grave with me.



First thing I do is what we call "flat" an image. Basically, I select each object and fill it with the color I am going to use for it. It is at this stage that I establish the palette for the piece. I also begin to set the value relationships within the objects.

Someone asked me how I come up with color schemes for covers and pages. It's tough for me to answer that question because it just kind of comes to me. I know, sounds corny and stereotypical, but it just does.

Sometimes I will do a quick color sketch of it, especially if I am going to try something new or to work out any issues.



Using all the lighting established by Jim and Sandra, I start coloring the cover. I work dark to light, foreground to background.

For this cover I decided to use a very strong cool (foreground) vs warm (background) composition. I let the warm tones encroach onto the foreground elements so it all works as a whole. I use very defined "cut" shapes for the foreground figure and elements, especially metal ones.

In contrast, all background and atmospheric objects are rendered using textured and organic brushes. It still looks a little flat as far as depth goes, but I know that will get resolved as I do the FX.



To establish some atmospheric perspective (aka depth), I use a gradient that covers everything behind Supes. I also color hold Wonder Woman's lasso and the energy on it. All the glows are added here as well.

Can't stress how important it is to be clean and precise with all your FX!!



Details, details--used some smoke and dust particles to help separate Supes from the foreground. To finish it off, I added the beams of light coming thru Superman which accentuate his blacks and gave the piece a nice intensity.

Click Save and cross my fingers as I send a JPEG off for approval!

[XmanMoby]

THESE ARE GREAT ARTICLES. i have always been facinated with coloring. thanks.

EDIT> i know it's super geek, but i like seeing all the steps for one cover.

[Cyphon]

Agreed! It seems there's as much science as their is art to inking and colouring, and it's wonderful to get this kind of behind the scenes glimpse.

I'd definitely love to see more!

[EmeraldGuy32]

very cool stuff.

[BlueThunderArmy]

I may never be a colorist, but I hope to God I can have a computer setup like that someday...

[c_andrew_s]

This looks amazing!

[CitC]

These articles (along with the drwaing one and JMS' writing one) are great.

I would like to see the way pages were coloured in the old days. When did computer colouring come in?

[blankpoint]

I like the starting flat colored image best, though the final is also really well done. I've got the DKR statue on my desk too!

[SpottedNigel]

...I want that desk. I'm afraid to even think of how much that baby cost...

EDIT: Crap. I looked. $1600+

Ow.

[KyleCowstar]

Great articles.

[CoolJerk]

re: CitC

For a quick and entertaining explainer of how comics were created in the Silver Age vs This Millennium, go here:

http://www.cooljerk.com/colorcomiccon2001p1.html

Part of this package explains differences between old-school comic coloring and computer coloring. This package originally ran in The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2001.

BTW I enjoyed this article. Well done. And good work, Alex.

[rogue_tomato]

Excellent article! Love being able to see all of the steps it takes to produce a comic

[shawnA2]

Anyone but me notice that on the first few drafts of the image the torn superman cape is actually superboy's tee shirt rather than the cape? Perhaps this had to change as to not give away a surprise?

It's only changed to red and yellow in the final draft.

[Grendel Prime]

Call me crazy, but I like the first "flat image" version best.

Oh, good eye with catching the S cape switch.

[brianscottp]

Call me crazy, but I like the first "flat image" version best

I like them both. The "flat" reminds me more of what we would have seen w/ the old hand colored guides.

The finished image just demonstrates how much technology has helped improve what we have today.

No knock on any of the folks who were colorists pre-computer technology, because it was still an art-form that took skill and ability to maximize what could be done in the old four- color format.

[PreCrisisDC]

I must say, the idea to run stories on the inking and coloring process, should be commended, too often the overall process gets over looked. Well done, and a big thank you out to Sandra and Alex!

[PreCrisisDC]

I must say, the idea to run stories on the inking and coloring process, should be commended, too often the overall process gets over looked. Well done, and a big thank you out to Sandra and Alex!

[MattSantucci]

He kept calling Superboy Prime, Superman! Did he just not know who he was coloring, or has his slipped in someway? :x

As for the coloring process altogether, I love it!

[baxtos]

the flat color image has a "Hellboy-esque" quality to it!

[Justice41]

Thanks to whomever came up with the ideas behind this. I'm saving the pages as PDF's so I can use them for ref. Thanks again to all.

[Kolimar]

Excellent article. I always enjoy this kind of information.

[Kolimar]

Originally posted by CoolJerk
re: CitC

For a quick and entertaining explainer of how comics were created in the Silver Age vs This Millennium, go here:

http://www.cooljerk.com/colorcomiccon2001p1.html

Part of this package explains differences between old-school comic coloring and computer coloring. This package originally ran in The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2001.

Cool, thanks.

[Rene Ritchie]

Very nice piece. The choices are bold and really brought together well.

It would have been nice to see even more intermediary steps and details!

[sequart]

A nice follow-up to the inking piece from last week. HOW CAN WE GET THIS TO BE A CONTSTANT THING? I would love to see this process more often!

[Delgado]

That tablet is exactly like mine's!!





Alex, i want your desk!!