My new site, new content

My amazingly talented girlfriend Irina Ivanova gave my website a major overhaul. Included are illustrations I did for Mayfair Games' recently released game Rocket Jockey.

This speeding ship was based on a design by Cliff Chiang (artist for the current Wonder Woman series for DC Comics).

The site also has a new editorial illustrations gallery with work I've done for magazines such as Nueva Sociedad and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) and a brand new art direction gallery featuring work from my years as art director for The Indypendent.

We'll let you know when the comics gallery is up.

© Frank Reynoso, Mar. 2012, All Rights Reserved

My illustrations in Mayfair Games' Rocket Jockey

"It's 150 years in the future and mankind has spread throughout the solar system. To supply far-flung colonies, they look to the Rocket Jockeys!"

Mayfair Games rolls out their latest game: Rocket Jockey with artwork by Cliff Chiang (artist of current Wonder Woman series) and myself! Cool visuals and galaxy spanning adventure make this game a must have.

You can see samples of the illustrations I did for the game at my site.

Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and order the game at Mayfair Games' site.

Huwaida, Final Version

Here's the final version of the Huwaida illustration. Looking at it again, I see that I still need to learn more about digital coloring and toning...

Huwaida Illustration, Black and White

This is an illustration I'm working on for a newspaper. It's been a while since I've done a straight illo. This is a rougher, looser style than I normally use, which will hopefully pack it with more dramatic punch.

1st Page of Zed and Itty: Beach Bum Bash

The first page from my latest comic Zed and Itty: Beach Bum Bash. It's an eight-page, all-ages comic that'll appear in The House of 12's anthology at this year's Small Press Expo. I'll be exhibiting at the expo along with my great friend Keith McCleary.
















© Frank Reynoso, Augt. 2009, All Rights Reserved

Demonic Brute Pencils

While preparing my portfolio for the upcoming New York Comic Convention, I penciled this piece just for the fun of it.















© Frank Reynoso, Jan. 2009, All Rights Reserved

NACLA Cover

This is an illo I did for North American Congress for Latin America (NACLA). Needless to say, the magazine deals with the US's relations with Latin America. It's a solid magazine with great, intelligent writing.

The issue should hit the stands in January. Pick up a copy. And read their articles, too.









© Frank Reynoso, Dec. 2008, All Rights Reserved

How To Create a Bloomzilla

For those of you who are curious about my working methods, here's a walk-through of my recent illustration for The Indypendent.

Keep in mind that I don't have a "fixed" system. Every assignment's different - eg. full-color versus black and white, hand-painted versus digital, etc etc. But below is an example of my general process.

1. I read the text and got a sense of the messages conveyed in the story. (Sometimes the full text isn't ready so an outline or synopsis is all I have to work from.)

With those ideas in mind, I sketched this little dinger. Usually I'll do a series of sketches - four to five or more if I can't "get it right." But considering I only had a couple of days to do this illo, I went with the first idea. (I strongly suggest doing multiple sketches before moving onto the final.)

Most of my "thinking" is done at this point. I look for strong composition and draftsmanship.

2. I plunged into pencils. I went online and used five reference pictures of Bloomberg to make sure I got his likeness. (Note: use multiple references to avoid legal troubles.)

I changed the head's angle so the reader can see his face more.

Though I did most of my thinking at the sketch phase, I still modify things as I move along the process. Surprises can be cool but too many of them can make your final look like a hot mess.

3. Using a couple of brushes, acrylic ink and a micron pen, I inked the bugger.

Any modifications at this point are nominal. Eg, extra hatching in various spots.



4. I scanned it in, cleaned up any blemishes, erased a stray line at the bottom and bumped up the contrast.

With the illo clean, I digitally added grays and sent the final to the designers.




And here it is.

Again, I don't have a "regular system" for doing illustrations. (Recently I've incorporated tracing paper into my illustrations. More on that some other time.)

But I always use the a) think and sketch, b) pencil and modify, and c) ink and finish process for my illustrations.

Hope you had as much fun placating my ego as I did. :)

Rock on,
Frank


© Frank Reynoso, Nov. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Bloomzilla

Here's an illo I did for the upcoming issue of The Indypendent.

Needless to say I had fun drawing our wacky mayor, who's running for a third term. And obviously he did it "legally."






© Frank Reynoso, Nov. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Venom Inked

Came out a little lighter than expected...
















© Frank Reynoso, Nov. 2008, All Rights Reserved

"Sock the Vote" Comic

Here's my one-page comic response to voting.

Forward far and wide. :)















© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Obamania Cover of The Indypendent

Back in August, I illustrated this cover of The Indypendent.















© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Werewolf Pin-Up Inked

Here's my fully inked werewolf pin-up - as promised in the subject line.

Digital prints will be available at my next comic con appearance.










© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

"Adding Fuel to the Fire" Cover of The Indypendent

Looking through The Indypendent's online archives, I came across this cover I illustrated in May 2007.














© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Skull Tendrils Inked

With a couple of brushes, black acrylic ink and a micron pen to ink, I plunged into the Lovecraftian looking skull and came up with this.




















This is a color sample to get an idea of tones. I plan to color this digitally.





















I plan to make a bookmark or a mini print from this image. If all goes well, I'll get an artist alley table at next year's New York Comic Con where you can see the prints. (I'm on the waiting list.)

© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Portraits from the Animal Kingdom

These are some of my watercolor paintings - titled "Portraits from the Animal Kingdom" - that premiered at this year's Small Press Expo (SPX). They're mostly based on the various customers who stiffed me at my waitering job.

Long story short: if I get bad feelings about a customer I sketch them quickly, capturing as much as I can of their character. Then, whatever tip they left me - if they left me anything at all - and their attitudes along with my disposition determined if the sketch of them evolved into a greater piece.

This is the first time I've ever done this and found it to be rather cathartic - to say the least. :)

(I have sketches of the two other guys she was with. Basically these were three Italian twenty-somethings who came to New York City to shop, as their assorted shopping bags suggested. They barely spoke any English, which proved problematic. But I guess shopping is a universal language as opposed to tipping.)






(This is only painting not based on an actual person. It's based on a sketch. I liked the design and felt it fit in well with the others.)











(They didn't eat some food and wanted a discount, which is pretty reasonable. I explained to them that it was totally dependent on the managers. And lucky me, the manager on duty only gave them a slight deduction. The couple said they understood and didn't blame me for any of the trouble. I guess the long conversation and jokes time weren't enough. They left me less than a 10% tip and thanked me for everything.

PS. They're hair was actually this funky.

PPS. FYI, that's a man comforting a woman.)


(This lady didn't stiff me but was such a nuisance, along with two of the other three women she was with, that I sketched the three. Though they complained about the apparently sub-standard quality of their lunches and their veritable shopping list general dislikes, they left me a good tip. Unfortunately the good tip didn't wash away the ill feelings.)




I made a few other paintings that weren't printed for various reasons. I'll get those up here, so keep an eye out for them.

© Frank Reynoso, Oct. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Cover of The Indypendent #122, June 2008

Here's the illustration I did for the latest issue of the Indypedent. It's a radically different style from the ones I usually do. I'm happy with the way this turned out.

And here's how it was published.

The main story is actually three stories:
The privatization of Everyday life
Verizon's sweetheart deal with NYC
- privatized healthcare
- urban development

Read the other stories at The Indypendent #122. And while you're at it, read the paper.

© Frank Reynoso, June 2008, All Rights Reserved