Robin by Rob Haynes

A little early piece from the now too rare Rob Haynes.

I was blown away by his art when I discovered it. It was so fresh and dynamic, unlike anything being done at the time (despite some obvious influences. Think Alex Toth for the economy of the line by way of any-great-modern Japanese animation studio/character designer).

The streamlined line, the great use of light and color, the always present sense of movement were simply amazing.

This Robin is super fun. The jumping from his rope pose is great as you can feel the momentum and that the baddie at the end of his foot will feel his skull rattle. A feeling enhanced by his grinding teeth indicating that he is also bracing for impact.

The somewhat circling composition with the rope (both ends paralleled by the movement of the cape) and his body is different from what we are used to see with the character. The fact that he chose to portray him mid-air is also a plus in that regard. It gives him a gymnast/athlete vibe.

I also like the fact that he is using both hands on the rope, which seems a bit more realistic to me.

Lastly the colors are a super nice touch. See the date? 98! Rob was way ahead of his time in terms of color marker use and way before the copic craze happened.

What an artist.

Bought cheap on C-Link because given the rarity of his work nowadays, I’ll take what I can.