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about_facesMy very favorite part about going to a comic convention is getting original artwork. The day I discovered that most artists are nice enough to do sketches, oh man, my whole little world was turned upside-down. Here was an original piece, however simple, made by the hand of a notable comic artist, for me! Art became (and still is) the main goal of any comic convention I'd attend.
After I met somebody who would commission comic artists to do Batgirl artwork--and had subsequently acquired a stunning Batgirl portfolio--I realized that I wanted to do the same thing with Two-Face (and Hal Jordan, who was my second favorite character). Seeing as how commissions cost anywhere from $25-$150, my collection is not yet that huge.
Two of my earliest (and free, therefore simplest) sketches by John Cassaday and Tim Sale aren't much to look at, but I'm still proud of them because on both occasions, the artists weren't able or supposed to do sketches that day, but made exceptions for me, for some reason. Maybe it was because Harvey's a fun character to draw, as I overheard John K. Snyder III discussing with Matt Wagner while Snyder did his own piece, which you'll see next.
John K. Snyder III is a mainstay at every DC-area convention I've ever attended: a great guy with a uniquely dynamic style, so it's weird that we don't see him do more projects. I remember when I asked him to draw Two-Face, he asked me if I wanted it more like the comics, or for him to let loose with his own interpretation. I chose the latter. Maybe next time, I'll commission a larger piece of the former.
These next two are also freebies, and let me tell you, it's so amusingly bittersweet to have art legends like Walt Simonson and especially Chris Sprouce (artist of the definitive Two-Face story "Eye of the Beholder") draw Two-Face with his scars on the wrong side!
Tommy Lee Edwards' was my most expensive commission yet, and at first, I didn't think it was worth the cash. But the more I studied this massive piece (so large it wouldn't all fit in the scanner, thus the awkward cut-off), the more I came to really love the little details: the folds in his suit, the lighting on the Tommy Gun, the smoke bringing light back into the darkness, the whole play of light and shadow, etc.
It's his use of gray with the solid black inks that really makes this piece sing, IMO. This scan doesn't do it justice, but maybe if you squint and try to imagine it being rather large, that'll help.
Ultimately, though, my favorite piece has to be this one by Michael Lark. I deeply admire artists of graceful simplicity--guys like David Mazzucchelli, Alex Toth, Javier Pulido, Chris Sprouce, and Dean Trippe--who can do so much by doing so little.
One of the biggest reasons I've been reluctant to commission more Two-Face artwork is that, well, there's nothing quite so dispiriting as having spent good money for an artist to put their hard work into a piece that just isn't very good.
Perhaps my worries are unfounded, as I can't actually think of any time I've ever received a piece that I wasn't at least satisfied to receive for what I'd paid. But I think it's a legitimate fear, considering all the subpar Two-Face drawings I've seen through my Google scourings and on DeviantArt.
Here's the best I've found so far from pro artists, both from con sketches and their own galleries. Most of these guys are biggish names, the kinds of pieces I'd love to stock in my own portfolio.
If anything good came out of the excruciating lameness that was BATMAN: JEKYLL AND HYDE, it was the opportunity to see Sean Phillips draw Two-Face. He does some of my favorite scarring details, and this piece is no exception. Man, how cool would it be to see Brubaker and Phillips give a full CRIMINAL/INCOGNITIO treatment to Harvey in a miniseries or graphic novel?
No idea who did these two, but I really dig them both for not actually drawing the division between the scarred and unscarred sides, leaving that instead up to the colorist in the first example or the viewer in the second.
I also really dig the scatchboard style (or is it actually scatchboard? If so, even more impressive!) work on the second there, along with how he's holding the coin sideways. Nice touch.
Man, when Byrne is good,http://www.livejournal.com/update.bml you remember why he's John frickin' Byrne. It looks like he put more work into this piece than he's done in some actual published stories. It reminds me of that great Tim Sale image in DARK VICTORY, but he looks even more regal here. This a Two-Face who's on top of the frelling world, King Crazy of all he surveys. To top it off, I adore the uneven scarring. Damn, do I want to own this piece.
Dustin Nguyen's artwork is always a pleasure to see in STREETS OF GOTHAM, and the fact that he does things like LI'L GOTHAM shows that he was a wonderful sense of humor and love for the Gotham characters. I dearly wish he and Dini could do a whole Two-Face story, but until then, this piece will have to do. I kinda dig the open-shirted SCARFACE-ness about it, along with the scruff and hair, which kind of makes him resemble Gambit as Two-Face.
I'm kind of a weirdo when it comes to Two-Face art in that the unscarred side is more important to me than the scarred one. Many artists will just let loose with the scars, thinking that all that's needed for the good side is just to draw a generic good-looking guy. Personally, I think it's vital that the good side be given character and personality of its own, and I dislike art that disregards this. Tony Harris is an exception, because, well, look at that.
What really appeals to me about this piece by AMERICAN VAMPIRE's Rafael Albaquerque is how he chose to depict Two-Face after the good side came up. How many other artists would do that?
Now THIS is the kind of Tim Sale piece I'd want, if I'm ever able have the money at a con when he isn't booked up. Although if I had my way, I'd make a couple requests. First off, that he NOT be wearing Sale's LONG HALLOWEEN suit. That jacket is so massive, it's virtually a dress. It looks like he's wearing one of those weird ceremonial tunics from STAR TREK: TNG. Or a short frock coat. But much as I dislike TLH AND DV as stories, I'll always have a great fondness for how Sale draws Harvey as a character, outfit aside.
Here, Adam Hughes seems to be channeling Tim Sale's Two-Face. He kind of reminds me more of Norman Osborn, and considering the fact that several artists have used Tommy Lee Jones as a model for Osborn, I'm not even sure what to make of that. I like the stretched-flesh style scarring. It reminds me of DARKMAN, which I've always held as a good model for how to do great Two-Face scarring.
This rather Shatneresque Two-Face by Lee Bermejo isn't the best drawing of the character that the artist has done, but I still love how he handles the scarring (although I've never understood what was up with that weird ringworm scar on his forehead). Plus, I admire how he doesn't draw split suits on Harvey.
I have a fondness for split suits, but ultimately, I love a Two-Face where the focus of what's wrong is purely on the head itself. It's hard to ask an artist not to do that, because I imagine much of the fun in drawing Harvey is coming up with crazy suits to go with his crazy face, but there's something so rewarding about a Two-Face that's compelling even when what he's wearing isn't wild and campy.
Case in point:
I've never read a comic drawn by Chris Samnee, but looking at this piece (as well as the many other amazing illustration at his blog, http://www.chrissamnee.com), I think I'm gonna have to keep an eye out. I love this piece. Love, love, LOVE it.
It's my favorite next to the Byrne piece, while also being its opposite: whereas Byrne's was kingpin-esque, top of the world, this is a gritty, street-level, hands-on Two-Face. Again, I love the lack of the split suit, and the exposed undershirt gives him a wonderful quality of physicality. I want to own this and the Byrne pieces, like, yesterday.
Oh wait, that color Two-Face piece by the artist I didn't know? Turns out that's a Samnee as well. Yeah, definitely gonna need to check out his books next time I hit the comic shop. And of course, at conventions in the future.
And then, of course, there's fanart, but I'll save that for a future post. Has anyone seen any great Two-Face artwork, pro or otherwise?
After I met somebody who would commission comic artists to do Batgirl artwork--and had subsequently acquired a stunning Batgirl portfolio--I realized that I wanted to do the same thing with Two-Face (and Hal Jordan, who was my second favorite character). Seeing as how commissions cost anywhere from $25-$150, my collection is not yet that huge.
Two of my earliest (and free, therefore simplest) sketches by John Cassaday and Tim Sale aren't much to look at, but I'm still proud of them because on both occasions, the artists weren't able or supposed to do sketches that day, but made exceptions for me, for some reason. Maybe it was because Harvey's a fun character to draw, as I overheard John K. Snyder III discussing with Matt Wagner while Snyder did his own piece, which you'll see next.
John K. Snyder III is a mainstay at every DC-area convention I've ever attended: a great guy with a uniquely dynamic style, so it's weird that we don't see him do more projects. I remember when I asked him to draw Two-Face, he asked me if I wanted it more like the comics, or for him to let loose with his own interpretation. I chose the latter. Maybe next time, I'll commission a larger piece of the former.
These next two are also freebies, and let me tell you, it's so amusingly bittersweet to have art legends like Walt Simonson and especially Chris Sprouce (artist of the definitive Two-Face story "Eye of the Beholder") draw Two-Face with his scars on the wrong side!
Tommy Lee Edwards' was my most expensive commission yet, and at first, I didn't think it was worth the cash. But the more I studied this massive piece (so large it wouldn't all fit in the scanner, thus the awkward cut-off), the more I came to really love the little details: the folds in his suit, the lighting on the Tommy Gun, the smoke bringing light back into the darkness, the whole play of light and shadow, etc.
It's his use of gray with the solid black inks that really makes this piece sing, IMO. This scan doesn't do it justice, but maybe if you squint and try to imagine it being rather large, that'll help.
Ultimately, though, my favorite piece has to be this one by Michael Lark. I deeply admire artists of graceful simplicity--guys like David Mazzucchelli, Alex Toth, Javier Pulido, Chris Sprouce, and Dean Trippe--who can do so much by doing so little.
One of the biggest reasons I've been reluctant to commission more Two-Face artwork is that, well, there's nothing quite so dispiriting as having spent good money for an artist to put their hard work into a piece that just isn't very good.
Perhaps my worries are unfounded, as I can't actually think of any time I've ever received a piece that I wasn't at least satisfied to receive for what I'd paid. But I think it's a legitimate fear, considering all the subpar Two-Face drawings I've seen through my Google scourings and on DeviantArt.
Here's the best I've found so far from pro artists, both from con sketches and their own galleries. Most of these guys are biggish names, the kinds of pieces I'd love to stock in my own portfolio.
If anything good came out of the excruciating lameness that was BATMAN: JEKYLL AND HYDE, it was the opportunity to see Sean Phillips draw Two-Face. He does some of my favorite scarring details, and this piece is no exception. Man, how cool would it be to see Brubaker and Phillips give a full CRIMINAL/INCOGNITIO treatment to Harvey in a miniseries or graphic novel?
No idea who did these two, but I really dig them both for not actually drawing the division between the scarred and unscarred sides, leaving that instead up to the colorist in the first example or the viewer in the second.
I also really dig the scatchboard style (or is it actually scatchboard? If so, even more impressive!) work on the second there, along with how he's holding the coin sideways. Nice touch.
Man, when Byrne is good,http://www.livejournal.com/update.bml you remember why he's John frickin' Byrne. It looks like he put more work into this piece than he's done in some actual published stories. It reminds me of that great Tim Sale image in DARK VICTORY, but he looks even more regal here. This a Two-Face who's on top of the frelling world, King Crazy of all he surveys. To top it off, I adore the uneven scarring. Damn, do I want to own this piece.
Dustin Nguyen's artwork is always a pleasure to see in STREETS OF GOTHAM, and the fact that he does things like LI'L GOTHAM shows that he was a wonderful sense of humor and love for the Gotham characters. I dearly wish he and Dini could do a whole Two-Face story, but until then, this piece will have to do. I kinda dig the open-shirted SCARFACE-ness about it, along with the scruff and hair, which kind of makes him resemble Gambit as Two-Face.
I'm kind of a weirdo when it comes to Two-Face art in that the unscarred side is more important to me than the scarred one. Many artists will just let loose with the scars, thinking that all that's needed for the good side is just to draw a generic good-looking guy. Personally, I think it's vital that the good side be given character and personality of its own, and I dislike art that disregards this. Tony Harris is an exception, because, well, look at that.
What really appeals to me about this piece by AMERICAN VAMPIRE's Rafael Albaquerque is how he chose to depict Two-Face after the good side came up. How many other artists would do that?
Now THIS is the kind of Tim Sale piece I'd want, if I'm ever able have the money at a con when he isn't booked up. Although if I had my way, I'd make a couple requests. First off, that he NOT be wearing Sale's LONG HALLOWEEN suit. That jacket is so massive, it's virtually a dress. It looks like he's wearing one of those weird ceremonial tunics from STAR TREK: TNG. Or a short frock coat. But much as I dislike TLH AND DV as stories, I'll always have a great fondness for how Sale draws Harvey as a character, outfit aside.
Here, Adam Hughes seems to be channeling Tim Sale's Two-Face. He kind of reminds me more of Norman Osborn, and considering the fact that several artists have used Tommy Lee Jones as a model for Osborn, I'm not even sure what to make of that. I like the stretched-flesh style scarring. It reminds me of DARKMAN, which I've always held as a good model for how to do great Two-Face scarring.
This rather Shatneresque Two-Face by Lee Bermejo isn't the best drawing of the character that the artist has done, but I still love how he handles the scarring (although I've never understood what was up with that weird ringworm scar on his forehead). Plus, I admire how he doesn't draw split suits on Harvey.
I have a fondness for split suits, but ultimately, I love a Two-Face where the focus of what's wrong is purely on the head itself. It's hard to ask an artist not to do that, because I imagine much of the fun in drawing Harvey is coming up with crazy suits to go with his crazy face, but there's something so rewarding about a Two-Face that's compelling even when what he's wearing isn't wild and campy.
Case in point:
I've never read a comic drawn by Chris Samnee, but looking at this piece (as well as the many other amazing illustration at his blog, http://www.chrissamnee.com), I think I'm gonna have to keep an eye out. I love this piece. Love, love, LOVE it.
It's my favorite next to the Byrne piece, while also being its opposite: whereas Byrne's was kingpin-esque, top of the world, this is a gritty, street-level, hands-on Two-Face. Again, I love the lack of the split suit, and the exposed undershirt gives him a wonderful quality of physicality. I want to own this and the Byrne pieces, like, yesterday.
Oh wait, that color Two-Face piece by the artist I didn't know? Turns out that's a Samnee as well. Yeah, definitely gonna need to check out his books next time I hit the comic shop. And of course, at conventions in the future.
And then, of course, there's fanart, but I'll save that for a future post. Has anyone seen any great Two-Face artwork, pro or otherwise?
