A Study of Wonder Woman (Art WW-101)

Today's art class was a blast! We had the amazing Wonder Woman as our model, striking a pose on a sleek leather couch. It was a unique opportunity to capture her iconic character and style on canvas. The students were thrilled to draw inspiration from her powerful presence and dynamic pose.

[Workflow: Starter images were created within Tengr, and glitches were cleaned up within Affinity during final processing.]

Legend of the Serpent's Temptation (John Constantine)

[another imagined John Constantine comic book cover for DC Comics for a one-shot storyline proposed to be written by Ray Fawkes with interior art by Juan Ferreyra.]

John Constantine's fevered mind conjured up a vision of the Garden of Eden, lush and vibrant, with trees heavy with forbidden fruit. He saw himself standing amidst the verdant paradise, the air thick with the scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of a thousand whispers. The sun beat down upon his skin, but he felt no heat, only a creeping sense of unease.

As he wandered deeper into the garden, the trees grew taller and the shadows darker. John's eyes scanned the surroundings, his hand instinctively reaching for the cigarette pack in his pocket, only to remember he'd left it on the nightstand back in his dingy London flat. A faint rustling caught his attention, and he turned to face a massive, serpentine creature coiled at the base of a gnarled tree. Its scales glinted like polished obsidian, and its eyes burned with an otherworldly green fire.

The snake's gaze locked onto John, and he felt an inexplicable pull as if the creature was drawing him closer to the tree. A branch creaked, and a single, glowing apple fell from its bough into John's hand. The snake's forked tongue darted in and out, tasting the air, and John's mind whispered a single, chilling phrase: "Eat the fruit, and all your sins will be forgiven."

[Workflow: Inspired by Yasmine Putri's cover art from Hellblazer #17 (2018).  A series of Tengr image prompts to get many elements in the same dark-colored painting format, found a bunch of snake & vegetation images on the internet. Composed these pieces of John, tree, apple, and vegetation, along with special Fx overlays, and texturing work.]

final variant cover art

raw image without DC Comics branding

inspiration artwork

John's Swampy Visit

My image of John Constantine encountering a mutated version of The Swamp Thing that was inspired by artist Moritat's panel image I saw in Hellblazer #1 (2016).

John's encounter in the swamp

Moritat's inspiring panel

The Devil's Drain (John Constantine Chases a Sewer Demon)

John Constantine stood at the entrance of the sewer tunnel under the streets of Edinburgh, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. The air reeked of rot and decay, and the stench of brimstone hung heavy on his tongue. He could feel it, lurking just out of sight, its malevolent presence seeping into his bones like a chill.

The red-eyed demon, known only as "The Devourer," had been summoned by some foolhardy mortal, no doubt seeking power or revenge. Now, it was up to Constantine to put an end to the demon's nightly feedings. He surveyed the dark, dripping passageway, his gaze fixed on the spot where the demon's presence was strongest.  The walls seemed to press in around him, the sound of dripping water echoing off the concrete like a morbid drumbeat. Constantine's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the darkness ahead. He could feel its hunger, its rage, and its unquenchable thirst for destruction.

[Workflow: My image was inspired by artist Moritat's panel image I saw in Hellblazer #3 (2016), Base elements were generated using NightCafe and Tengr, then other layers (demon, rain, water, fog) masked in along with other Fx work.]

my demon I merged into final layout

John Constantine at the Railway Tavern

John Constantine takes a smoke and drink break at the Railway Tavern.

[Workflow: A few Tengr image creations to get the bits and pieces of the bar layout, then hand edits adding in a bar sign, smoke layer, and glow Fx on lights.]

Hi-rez image link [2160px tall]

Best from NightCafe (creatures made from food, part 2)

Here are more delightful food-related AI images I gathered from NightCafe; while they are not my own, I found them so enjoyable that I saved copies here. Today's batch is all from @Cilia.

Meloncauli

LOL-lipop

Deviled Egg

Pearisian

Jello?

Scuba Diver's Surprise in the Black Lagoon [TrUzApalOOza cardstock wraparound variant cover C + cover D]

Continuing the Creature from Black Lagoon series, here are Cover C and Cover D (wraparound) Retailer Incentive versions...

[Workflow: I sourced a chunk of images from the internet and then combined them into the final picture. I didn't have to use Tengri/NightCafe to create my usual stock items for this composition. Lots of masking work, curve adjustments (green up the water), displacements (reflection of monster), distorts (for eyebrows), mesh wrapping, brush layers to add more bubbles/water effects, etc.]

Image list:

1. cover D [full upper body of diver] wraparound exclusive Pulp Fiction Comics cover
2. cover C [close-up facemask only] cover
3. raw of the painting (reduced resolution), without final book layouts/logos
4. a glance at my Affinity Photo layering panels with Fx filters
5. and a bunch of the source images

cover D (full image wraparound)

cover C (focused on diver's mask)

the final raw image before cropping the view for covers C + D

my water, overlayed to recolor

my layers panel

my original diver before edits

regulator logo

face mask reference

most of bubbles, others added with brushes

The Joker's Wild Card Waltz: A Dance of Unpredictability and Anarchy

Thanks for tuning into WGCL 104.7 FM (Gotham City Live), next up is a song from one of our local boys...

Verse 1: I'm the wild card, the joker in the deck I'm the one who'll make the rules, and then I'll wreck The game of life, the game of chance I'll take the wheel, and I'll take a dance

Chorus: Oh, the wild card waltz, it's a dance of anarchy Where the rules are broken, and the chaos is free I'll spin the wheel, and I'll take the fall In the wild card waltz, I'll have it all

Verse 2: I'm the master of mayhem, the king of the game I'll make the city burn, and I'll make it all the same I'll take the power, and I'll take the stage I'll make the people dance, to the wild card waltz

Chorus: Oh, the wild card waltz, it's a dance of anarchy Where the rules are broken, and the chaos is free I'll spin the wheel, and I'll take the fall In the wild card waltz, I'll have it all

Bridge: I'll take the Joker's card, and I'll play it right I'll make the city mine, and I'll make it ignite I'll take the power, and I'll take the throne I'll make the people bow, to the wild card waltz, alone

Chorus: Oh, the wild card waltz, it's a dance of anarchy Where the rules are broken, and the chaos is free I'll spin the wheel, and I'll take the fall In the wild card waltz, I'll have it all

Outro: So come along, and join the fun In the wild card waltz, we'll have begun We'll dance and sing, and we'll take the fall In the wild card waltz, we'll have it all.

 

The Lasso of Truth and the Star-Spangled Sword (Wonder Woman)

Wonder Woman has been protecting the world, mostly through her adventures in and around America since 1941.

[Workflow: Basic Wonder Woman created within Nightcafe, then added in flaming sword, magic lasso, and overlaid the American flag into the background all within Affinity Photo.]

Hi-rez image link [2160px tall]

The Lasso of Truth and the Star-Spangled Sword (1941-2024)