Stingray by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia

HeroesCon 2025 Pick up!

I first met Jonathan at IC3 back in March and was captivated by the massive water color comic pages he had on display from the Image comic "Bear Pirate Viking Queen". I had heard of the series, but never read it. Fortunately, Jonathan had some copies of the book so I was able to pick them up and read it. It's a great comic but the art is what really makes it sing.

Fast forward a few months, just prior to HeroesCon and I saw that Jonathan was taking pre-show commissions. I NEEDED to see what he could do with Stingray. I mean -water- color? Seems like a perfect match for Stingray. Turns out I was right!

The colors in this one are really fun. Jonathan decided against the typical blues of an underwater scene, going instead for a murkier, more inky look. The underlighting is also an interesting choice that makes me wonder what could be down there. Jon's linework is great, going from thick to thin as needed. They are loose, often suggesting shapes more than defining them. The paint then fills in the lines, but is not beholden to them, free flowing and ignoring boundaries.

Getting to meet Jonathan again at Heroes was a lot of fun. We got to spend some time talking. I told him how much I enjoyed his comic. He told me how much he enjoyed doing this commission for me. He was excited for the challenge of painting a character he'd never worked on before. I love it when that happens!

9x12 watercolor on paper.

Follow Jonathan on his Instagram:
Jonathan Marks Barravecchia

And buy some art on his website:
www.jonathanmarksart.com/