With Birdman and Avenger drawn, inked, and colored, I began working on the background. I'd already thumbed out a few layouts so I knew exactly where the characters would line-up against a blue sky backdrop. Since I'd colored the characters in a very simple, almost flats-only style, I wanted the background to have a painted feel to make the pinup look like a screengrab from the cartoon.
So here's the first layer of the background...
And here's the second layer...
Although I used a few textures for the sky, I added the clouds to give the pinup a little more atmosphere and really push Birdman's and Avenger's positions in mid-flight. But when I dropped the characters into the shot, I realized that the clouds weren't enough. So I added the mountain range in the far distance to frame the characters in the air and, again, establish Birdman's and Avenger's flight.
Alright, here's the final pinup...
You can see a bigger version here. As you can tell, I added Birdman's solar energy blast into the final shot.
When you're drawing the characters separetely, it gives you the freedom to move them around to get the best balance. Think Colorforms. But if you don't have a clue what your background is going to be, composition becomes a case of trial-by-accident. Sometimes good, sometimes frustrating. In my case, my initial thumbnail sketch gave me all the guidance I needed to put the pinup together. And as I completed the elements and brought them together, the pinup really gelled.
Hope you enjoyed the breakdown. Next up: The Galaxy Trio!
Bernie
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