If only I could draw like this guy

One of the most talented artists I know has a new book coming out in March. It's called The World of a Wayward Comic Book Artist: The Private Sketchbooks of S. Plunkett and you can read more about it here. The collection comes very highly recommended, with a forward by the legendary Michael Wm Kaluta. Here are a few samples, plus a look at Sandy's gorgeous cover painting. I'm thrilled to finally get a large book (more than 230 pages!) full of gems like this.

Wolverine #14 cover art

In the first scan you can see that we were still trying to narrow down the cover ideas.  Looking back, I think I prefer the layout on the lower left to the one that was finally selected.

Batman & The Outsiders pin-up

This was published in the Teen Titans and Outsiders Secret Files and Origins 2005.  I'm fairly certain the layout was originally a rejected version of the cover for Outsiders 25 from that same year.  Glad it got used somewhere.

My favorite Marvel character

I'm always trying to draw him as creepy as Adams, Buckler and Smith did back in those early '70's issues of the Avengers.

Jack B. Quick "Why the Long Face?", page 1

As I've recounted elsewhere, I happened to go to the State Fair and photograph this cow months before I needed the shot for reference on this splash page.  She belonged to an old classmate and she really didn't like us getting so close to her calf.  If looks could kill...

A pencil sketch from the '80's.

This was a rough idea for a portfolio piece that never materialized.

Vertigo Jam: Sandman page 1

Page two of this story can be seen here.  I don't think I drew exactly what Neil Gaiman was asking for in the first panel but we talked about it and he said, "Close enough".

Batman villains with Joe Quesada

I'm afraid I don't know what this was for.  Maybe a poster?  I should also apologize for the poor scan of the pencils.  I think they were a little on the light side and the copier obviously wasn't working very well, adding vertical lines not present in Joe's pencils.

Skulk SMASH!

Pencils and inks for Doctor Strangefate page 15.  For this DC/Marvel crossover story, "Skulk" was a combination of Solomon Grundy and the Hulk.

Batman pin-up with villains

From Batman Chronicles #23, 2001.

Secret Origins 44 cover

The editor (either Mark Waid or Denny O'Neil) asked me to move Batman's leg.  I obliged and also added some black to his cowl and cape for good measure.

The Ventriloquist and Scarface

Yet another DC card for Upper Deck.  Sometimes the drawing is easy but finding the right angle is a challenge.

Batman gargoyle drawing #2

Layout, pencils and inks...

Batgirl cover painting

This was for Legends of the DC Universe #11, December, 1998.  The large scan of the painting is from a color copy which seems to have intensified the colors compared to the printed version which looks almost black and white here.

Batman the Animated Series

More of the character sketches I did for the first season of Batman the Animated Series: