Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Visionaries of Tomorrow From Sketch to Inks

Hi all - in another thread there's been mention of an initial sketch I did for one of the preview pages that included a lot of smiling legionnaires - I thought perhaps those of you who haven't seen it might like a look

It's followed by what was the final inked version of the page so you can see how many changes take place between one of my sketched pages and the finished version.

The Boy with Ultra Powers has posted yet another early verion of the page on another thread which you might like to compare to both!





Hope you like them!

Who inks your work, Barry?

Simply beautiful! I personally like my Legionnaires smiling.

That background makes my head spin. The amount of detail puts Perez to shame. Wonderful job, Barry!

I love it! It's beautiful!

Can I ask you what tools were used for the inking(pens, pencils...)? Was the background drawn separatly?

Thanks for sharing Barry! Your participation here is heads and shoulders above what I would've expected from someone who has to churn out 40 pages a month! Jo looks great in the "grinning" page (I'm surprised Matt didn't buy that one) and I'll echo Nightcrawler's amazement at the background. Having to draw something like that would drive me nuts.

Who decides whether they're to be grinning or serious in the final version?

Couldn't decide which one I prefer, they're both beautiful, but with quite different moods.

Hi Guys - Thanks very much!

Hi Myriad - I inked this myself.

Hi Frog Kid - I did draw the background separately, because I knew from the start I was going to want to tinker with the figure placements...and I couldn't face drawing that cityscape more than once!
The figures are inked virtually entirely with a kolinsky sable brush and Doc Martin india ink. The background with technical pencils and dip pens. Various sizes, but mostly o.25.

Hi Fat Cramer - The decision about the grins was really a joint one - we wanted to send out the message that this Legion isn't all fun and games, but serious and dangerous too. I also liked that the serious faces contrast and complemented Lyle's joy at being part of the group.

So you're drawing 40 pages per issue, inking 40 pages per issue, traveling for cons, AND interacting with us fans at Legion World???

The Legion property is in good hands, sir.

Barry Kitson space-rawks!

Hi Myriad - I can't take quite that much credit though - There are 30 pages of story per issue - I'll be drawing them all and inking as many as I can - though we do have an amazing superstar inker or two in line to help out - and believe me, they can ink me as well, if not better, than I can! I'm not sure if I can spill the beans on the details yet though...but you won't be disappointed! Trust me I wouldn't let anyone touch this job if I didn't think they were up to it!
The other ten pages will be ads and editorial - we've been pushing to reinstate a letters section, but there's no definite decision on that yet...as sson as there is I'll be happy to let you know!
Thanks again!

Well, if we write letters, that'd probably help the cause, huh?

P.S.-- I prefer the sketched Sun BOy to the final...

I agree. I can get over Dirk going blonde instead of redheaded but I didn't like his inked hairstyle as compared to the sketched one.

Oh, well. Send him to the Super Hairdresser... of Space!

Me too. But overall I'm glad you went with the non-smiley version Barry. It fits the overall mood of the story much better IMO and really gives the impression that this team means business. I also think it would've felt too 'Archie-Legion' all over again if they'd been smiling.

Thanks for the images!

Speaking of Sun Boy - I don't know if its been mentioned anywhere else, but I was wondering why the hair colour change was made Barry?

Was it simply a case that you liked him better as a blonde or is there a deeper reason for it? Maybe to differentiate him from Garth a bit more? ... Or is it just a colouring error?

Barry, do you always pencil that tight when you're inking yourself, or was that first drawing not intended to be a finished page? That's awful detailed pencil work for something you weren't planning to hand off to another to ink.

I've got to say I think I prefer the way a few of the Legionnaires look in the pencilled sketch. Saturn Girl leaps to mind. I was worried about her costume from what we saw in the preview, but after seeing the pencils I've got to say I like her new design. Of course her more prominent position in the first piece probably has a lot to do with that. I think I like Shady better in the pencils as well, but I think the shoulder pads are a little too large. Shoulder pads are *so* 2988.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing the pics Barry! I hope you'll be able to share some other preview sketches with us soon. December is way too far off...

Wow!I love all this behind the scenes stuff....

Barry, I just love the grinning Legion. I mean, when was the last time we saw a smiling Element Lad? I appreciate the reasoning behind your decision to wipe the grins off their faces, but I've had my fill of anxious frowns and knitted brows. As much as I liked the DnA run, their stories were so unrelentingly "serious and dangerous" it became downright depressing at times. Hopefully, the new series will have its share of smiles and laughter, too. More than anything, I want the Legion to be fun again.

Anyway, I'm glad you switched Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl so we got a better look at Tinya's nifty new/old costume.

Barry this is the kind of stuff, if you can't already tell, that we all dig on.

I really love the initial pencils on all of the characters except for Garth. I feel the inked version is much better. Maybe its because I feel Lightning Lad would be grinning like that, I'm not sure. But either way, outstanding!

I think maybe Sun Boy in the inked page was just 'one of those drawings' I think I prefer his look in every other panel I've drawn him in too!

I think you can put his change in hair color - and his costume colors down to the same teething problems that turned Tasmia gray.
I should have caught these things prior to printing, but I think I was just so carried away with the pages for #1 that I was working on at the time the proof were sent out that I missed a few things - I'll try not to let it happen again.

The sketch is just the way I draw - my sketches are either so loose only I can tell what they are or about as tight as these...they are even tighter for someone else to ink though!
I even get to the stage of fully inking panels and then redrawing and inking them sometimes - as Darden and Matthew can attest. My 'methods' do drive some editors to distraction

As far as the letter column goes - you have a definite point Pov!

Hi Tromium - that mixture is exactly what we're aiming for. We want there to be all shades of life reflected in the book - #1 will give you a very good idea of what to expect.

Yeesh. And you're able to keep up a 30-page-per-month schedule like that? That's got to be tough! Good luck staying on top of it!

So, how long does a typical page usually take you to complete if you're inking yourself?

I'll bet!

I generally work a 12 to 13 hour day (if you can call it work - it's a real pleasure to be honest)
and can draw between a page and a page and a half a day....depending on the amount of detail characters etc. LSH is proving to be EXTREMELY labor intensive so I think realistically we'll need an inker to keep up the schedule - but making sure the quality is maintained is the main thing. I don't want to skimp on anything in this book!

I keep asking Mark for the solo story on a desert planet...but no response so far!

Spotlight on Shadow Lass!

Spotlight? But then you could see her...

Use a blacklight instead!

Legion of Super Heroes: The Black Issue...

That was my only complaint with your run on Titans. I typically love your work, but I don't think the inker on Titans did your work justice. It just didn't seem like a good fit to me. A good inker should complement a penciller's work, not overshadow it.

That should help keep Barry way ahead of schedule. All he would have to draw are eyes and teeth