Superman: The Man of Tomorrow

This is the second time I've tried to nail Superman in his element. The last time I'd tackled an 11 x 17" of the Man of Steel was several years ago, but I wasn't really satisfied with how that project turned out. Given I was working on a Batman tribute piece, and con season was back, I decided to give it another go. I put elements of Christopher Reeve and Tom Welling into my design of Superman, which sat on my wall for months. I decided two weeks ago to peel that sketch off the wall and really develop it. Referencing an actual sky shot and videos on how to render it in copics, I did my best to convey everything that made me a Superman fan back in the day. That sense of power tempered by hopeful optimism in his face was essential to capture and minimize the line work so that I could let the vibrant colors do the work for me. I'm especially proud of the sun effect, for which I incorporated Acrylic Titanium White for the first time. Using a tip from a friend, I diluted the white with water to achieve a translucent effect on the rendered sun streaks. The extreme light source allowed me to have some fun with elements of light and shadow, especially in the outstretched hand. With a touch of Prismacolor pencils, this image on 11 x 17" Canson paper really made him come to life. I really feel that I finally channeled the Man of Tomorrow in a way I never could years ago. The final result is breathtaking to the eye and you can just hear the John Williams or Hans Zimmer themes in the background.