Chrissie Zullo's Art Blog

2012-01-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Before I get to new work, some big events are coming up:

WOMANTHOLOGY LAUNCH PARTY

On Feb. 18th, I'll be at Acme Comics in Greensboro, NC with fellow female artists Ming Doyle and Janet Lee for a store signing, as well as speaking at Bennett College about working in comics. You can find out more on this event here:

Click for more info

Acme Comics is putting together a great event and I'm super excited and proud to be with these fellow female artists. If you live in the area, please come check it out.

EMERALD CITY COMICON

From March 30-April 1 in Seattle, WA. Some of you have already e-mailed me about pre-con commissions, and YES, I will be taking a brief list before this show, as well as future shows this year, including:

C2E2

April 13-15 in Chicago

BOSTON COMIC CON

April 21-22 in Boston

and more shows to come...

Ok, some new arts:

Bigby and Snow White from Fables / Catwoman

2012-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and happy new year! I've been playing catch-up after holiday festivities, but here is some new artwork for you guys:

Thor and Sif in black and white, and Photoshop colored version.

Deadpool, Cindy, and Grendel Commission, and a Rose Red piece.

Commission of my original character, previously featured in my Sketch Group's FCBD comic, first in black and white, and then with watercolors.

Hope you guys like them! As always, more next time.

2011-12-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Some new work for you all:

X-Factor commission. I scanned in the grays before I put the colors on top...

A pretty funny proposal... I've drawn Cindy in the Russian bikini I-don't-know-how-many times, so when someone asked for Aladdin in the get-up as well, I couldn't resist.

Black Widow commission. I had been avoiding inking my lines for a while and realized I missed it...

More work after Christmas!

2011-11-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

Store Signing Announcment!

I will be signing at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC this Saturday, November 26th, at 3pm with fellow comic artist Bridgit Scheide. Please come check us out! We'll be signing, doing free sketches, and selling prints.

Some new drawings:

Black Queen (Madelyne Pryor) and White Queen (Emma Frost) done in Cinderella: Fables are Forever Issue 2 Style.

Poison Ivy Commission.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fanart, colored in Photoshop.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday! More work soon.

2011-11-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

After a very long wait........ a blog entry!

Some recent commissions:

From top, left to right: Red Riding Hood, James Bond, Asuka Soryu Langley, Red Sonja, and new FF Invisible Woman.

Sorry for the blog delay, I've been trying to get new portfolio pieces together in between commissions. I wasn't going to post them just yet, but perhaps next time... Meanwhile, I hope these suffice..!

Til next time...

2011-10-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

NYCC was an absolute blast! This was my second time setting up at the show. Thank you to everyone who came by and said hello, bought a print, and/or commissioned me! I had been meaning to blog before the show, but I suppose better late than never. Here is some artwork for you all:

And here was a piece I donated to the NYCC Charity Auction event. I decided to draw Nausicaa, from the Miyazaki film:

And lastly, a recent commission of "Cindy vs. the Fables":

I had caught the post-con "bug" for a couple of days, but am getting back on schedule now. If you were on the mailing list for a commission at the show, expect an e-mail soon. If you are waiting on a commission from before the show, I will be trying to finish everyone's up this week. Thanks for your patience everyone!

More art soon!

2011-09-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

"Death on Titanic", "The Maxx and Julie" commissions, as well as:

Left: A colored version of a previous commission of She-Hulk. This was actually a lot of fun to re-visit an older commission and give it new life !

Right: A birthday gift to my good friend Richard of Richard's Comics and Collectables... I've owed him a Tink for some time now!!

I'm currently getting ready for New York Comic Con coming up in a couple of weeks. The pre-con list is pretty full at this point, but I might be able to squeeze in a few more pieces. If you're interested, just e-mail me at "chrissiezullo@gmail.com". I hope to have a new sketchbok and new prints in time... so stay tuned!

2011-09-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

A little preview of "Solace", written by Jenn Corella, for "Womanthology"!

See larger version HERE.

Some more art for you guys:

A Totoro (and Mai) watercolor piece on 9"x12".

A My Chemical Romance commission, of themes from their album "Danger Days".

Done with marker on 11"x14".

Thanks for looking!

2011-08-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone-!!

Sorry for lack of updates, after Baltimore, there was an earthquake, huricane, and power outage here in New York. Everything is back on track now, so here is a blog update!

Here is a commissioned black and white piece for an upcoming John Carter of Mars book being published by Simon and Schuster. The book collects different stories of characters from the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs*, and the short story I was assigned to is about a Warhoon of Barsoom. The book is due to come out to coincide with the film, so be on the lookout for it!

Full-res version HERE.

Here's a few commissions collaged together from Baltimore Comic-Con. I unfortunately don't get to scan all of the commissions I do, but here are a few done before the show for pick-up. See link above for more descriptions.

I'm currently finishing up my 5-page sci-fi story for Womanthology, which I am very excited about and can't wait to share online.

More commissions are coming, so stay tuned!

*Edited! Thank you! I don't know what I was thinking...

2011-08-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

New art!

A mermaid/sea creature painting done for a CD cover for Monica Richards. This was my first commissioned CD artwork, and I was very honored to do it!

A few more commissions:

From top, left to right:

Girls of X-Force commission, Commander Shepard (female) from Mass Effect, X-23, and Cheshire Cat.

Just a reminder:

This upcoming Friday, August 19th, I will be doing a store signing at Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, Delaware with fellow Cinderella crewmember Chris Roberson. The following days I will be at Baltimore Comic-Con (August 20th-21st). Hope to see you there!

2011-07-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

The final issue of "Cinderella: Fables are Forever" came out last week, so here is an update!

Here is the original thumbnail idea. Sortof "Dr. Zhivago"-ish, and a compliment to the first cover of the series.

Here is the final piece with a mock-up of the title. The final was eventually trimmed down due to a lot of dead-space at the top with her big hat.

I hope everyone enjoyed the series, Chris and Shawn have been doing such a great job with the story! I actually didn't get to read the full script ahead of the covers, so it's fun to read the series for the first time when the books come out.

Baltimore Comic-Con is coming up in August! I always love this convention, it is such a great show, especially for upcoming artists. I will be doing a store signing the Friday before the show at Captain Blue Hen comics in Newark, DE on August 19th from 5pm-7pm.

I'm also still taking some names on a pre-con list for the show. Please just e-mail me at chrissiezullo@gmail.com if you'd like to get on the list.

2011-07-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

More recent commissions:

Thumbelina commission for a Fables-themed sketchbook, and a nice little return to the three-page story I did for Fables 100.

From top to bottom, left to right:

Supergirl, Cloak and Dagger, Batgirl, Aang and Appa, and Ariel the Little Mermaid.

I'm working on my next sketchbook that will be ready in time for NYCC in October. It will include a lot of pieces you see here, and some you don't ! :)

Lastly, I am proud to be a part of a group of female creators putting together a book for IDW entitled "Womanthology". I'll be doing a 5-page sequential sci-fi story, which I am so very excited about! You can learn more about the project here on its Kickstarter page.

Thanks for looking!

2011-06-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I'm finally moved in and settled in NYC, and just got internet installed today! Hence the delay in the process of Cinderella: Fables are Forever Issue 5. It came out on the 15th, so if you didn't go pick it up, go now! As always, here's the process work:

These were my initial ideas for the fifth cover. The first one was chosen...

A final sketch with some minor changes. I drew this in Photoshop instead of traditionally, so changes could be made easier.

The original oil painting, done on 18"x24" wood panel. I painted this one pretty loosely so I could have more fun in Photoshop.

The final result. Cindy riding through the Deadly Desert of Oz.

More work coming soon! Thanks for looking.

2011-06-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

And now for my HeroesCon wrap up!

As some of you know, I got my start doing conventions at HeroesCon here in Charlotte, NC. This is always such a great show for me, and this year was definitely the best. I was on two panels this year: One was for "Cover Art", and it included one of my all-time heroes Adam Hughes, the amazing Skottie Young, Cliff Chiang, and Frank Cho. The other panel was a discussion group for Cinderella, with myself and Chris Roberson. It was great to see Chris again, and yes, I bugged him for more Cinderella. I also got to speak to Adam Hughes and his wife Allison, both of whom are really great, nice people, and true nerds at heart. It's always nice when your heroes live up to your expectations.

Some old friends at the show were Sara Richard, Chris Uminga, and Matthew Fletcher, all artists you should check out. I love these guys and their artwork.

I somehow managed to finish ten commissions over the weekend, and also took on a mailing list. SO! Mailed-out pieces should be coming soon, but I am in the middle of moving from Charlotte, NC to New York City next Wednesday, so things around here deal with either packing or hanging out with friends and family one last time before the move.

Here are some more drawings since the last blog post, so enjoy:

A commission to draw "stinky" Sammy from his dream sequence in the Madame Xanadu Issue I drew last year. The commissioner also requested Seph! This was my personal favorite piece I drew for the show.

Elektra, "Bigby's Angels" (Snow, Cindy, and Dorothy), and Ambrose with Red Riding Hood.

If I don't update much this month it is because of the move to New York. I will still try to update as much as possible. Thanks for reading!

2011-05-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, HereosCon is almost here! (This weekend!) A lot of you have asked me for pre-con commissions, which I've been working on to try to get ready for the show. I can't take any more, but I will be drawing at the show as well. I'll also have sketchbooks, prints, and comics for sale. Hope to see you there!

Some pre-con commissions that I've finished so far:

Death, Black Cat, Amethyst

Kitty Pryde and Lockheed, Harley Quinn, She-Hulk

Michonne, Zatanna

And a few new commissions:

Wonder Woman

Legion of Superheroes (left) and some of the X-men girls before a night out.

Lots of new drawings lately! And more to come.

2011-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Since it's Wednesday, comic book day, here is my process for "Cinderella: Fables are Forever" Issue 4 cover that came out last week:

Here are the three original ideas for the cover. My editor told me that the next issue was in Russia, Cindy had to be skiing, and that danger was after her! These were the ideas I handed over, and the third one was chosen for the cover.

Here is the final sketch, this time done completely in Photoshop.

I transferred the sketch to a piece of 18"x24" wood panel, and painted in acrylics.

And finally, finished in Photoshop, ready for print!

This is my favorite cover of the new series; for some reason it stands out to me. I hope you guys like it!

2011-05-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Time for a Free Comic Book Day wrap-up:

I had the honor of spending it with family and friends at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC. Richard really put on a great show and had an amazing turnout. I drew until my hand fell off and loved every minute. If you came and waited in line in the heat, I really appreciate it.

As promised, here is the three page story my friend Adam and I created for Sketch Charlotte's Anthology book. I will have some to give out at HeroesCon as well, incase you missed out on FCBD. Hope you guys like it:

"Makeshift"

You can see a larger version on my DeviantArt site here, with more information.

Also, "Cinderella: Fables are Forever" Issue 4 is out today! Will be back soon process work.

2011-04-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Free Comic Book Day is just around the corner!

This year, FCBD is May 7th. I will be spending it at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC drawing free sketches!

As for the above drawing: I'm part of a sketch group here in NC called "Sketch Charlotte". We meet every Thursday (or try to!) and get together to draw and talk comics. As part of Free Comic Book Day, the group has put together an Anthology Book that we will be giving out at local comic shops in Charlotte, NC, and I will be taking some down to Richard's in Greenville, SC. Each contributer put together a short story (usually 3-4 pages) of sequential work for the book. The girl above is the main character of my collaborative story, so this is a sortof sneak peek of my three pages. I will have all three pages up on the blog for everyone to read in the next blog entry, incase you are not local to the area to pick up a book! I will also have a few copies at the upcoming HeroesCon in June.

Lastly, a few more commissions for you all:

From left to right: Wonder Woman, Death from Sandman, and Medusa from Marvel.

2011-04-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Cinderella: Fables are Forever" Issue 3 came out on Wednesday, so here is the process!

Here are the original thumbnail ideas. My editor wanted this cover to be very 80's, and perhaps pay homage to something recognizable like "Desperately Seeking Susan" or even the poster to "Wicked". We went with a tribute to the famous Rolling Stone cover:

Here is the original painting/drawing:

And after working in Photoshop:

This piece went through a lot of changes along the way, but I'm happy with the final outcome. It's a different look for the Cindy covers, but I hope you guys like it!

More work soon.

2011-04-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

Some more commissions for you guys!

Death (left) from Sandman, and Black Widow (right) dressed as Cindy: FAF 1 Cover.

Final Fantasy VII Watercolor commission, played with colors in Photoshop a bit...

New Cinderella comes out this week! Be back soon.

2011-03-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Back with some art!

Zatanna and Buffy Commissions on 9"x12" toned paper

A Harley Commission from ECCC

A concept idea sketch... just a doodle, but I thought I'd share it all the same.

Thanks for looking :).

2011-03-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

First things first:

Thanks to everyone who came to see me at Emerald City Comicon! It was such a great show, and my first time setting up at a West Coast convention. The city was so great, easy to navigate, and the people were really kind. It was my first time to Seattle, and definitely won't be my last. I didn't have much time to be a tourist, but I did swing by the Space Needle, and scoped out the Battlestar Galactica exhibit at the SciFi Museum (nerd). I headed down to the waterfront one night, and enjoyed eating fresh fish every night. I also managed to escape to Chinatown for an hour or so on the last day to visit one of my favorite Japanese bookstores, Kinokuniya, of which I visited its sister store in NYC.

Some highlights from the show:

I sat next to Sean Gordon Murphy, an artist I've looked up to for quite some time (check also the post-NYCC blogpost). His work is so amazing and detailed in person, I was oohing and ahhing the entire show (and managed to swipe a sketch from him!). He is super kind in person, if you ever run across him at a show, check out his work! I also met Dustin Nguyen and Skottie Young. I don't know how I got to be so lucky!

OK. Secondly:

"Cinderella: Fables are Forever" Issue 2 hit comic book stores this past Wednesday. As always, here is a work in progress:

Some thumbnail ideas... My editor liked the playing-card symmetry of a previous artwork I created (here) to help me get hired at Vertigo. We decided to use this idea, which was good for me, knowing that it eventually was used in some aspect.

The original piece, done with acrylic wash on 12"x18" paper.

The final piece, finished in Photoshop.

If you are waiting on a commission from me, I am trying to finish them all this weekend! Thanks for your patience.

Lastly, I try not to write about anything but artwork on this blog, but if you can, please send your thoughts, prayers, and donations to those affected by the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. Thank you.

2011-03-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

A few more commissions before I go!

Ok so from left to right, top to bottom:

Birds of Prey commission: Oracle, Lady Blackhawk, Huntress, and Black Canary.

Miyazaki Commission: A Laputan robot, Pazu, and Sheeta from "Laputa: The Castle in the Sky"/ Chihiro (Sen) and Haku in dragon form from "Spirited Away".

Wonder Woman in her new costume sans jacket, Cinderella in winter gear, Delirium from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman".

And finally, one more painted commission, this time of Red Sonja, done with oils on 18"x24" wood panel.

See you guys this weekend in Emerald City Comicon!

I'll be set up in Artist Alley and will also be on the Vertigo panel, as well as 2 signings at the DC Booth on Saturday and Sunday. See you guys there!!

2011-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've started a Twitter account:

http://twitter.com/Chrissie_Zullo

I don't know how to use it yet, but it seems easy enough...

2011-02-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post:

Private commission of Lara Croft, Oil on Wood, 18"x24"

Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) and Lockheed

Some pre-Emerald City Comic-Con commissions for pick-up at the show. I still have a ton more of these to do, so expect a heavy commission-filled post soon!

Be back in a few days. :)

2011-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

More sketchbook doodles...

Quick Zatanna sketch cover done for the Hero Initiative Justice League #50. This is the first time DC has teamed up with the Hero Initiative; you can read more about this event here.

More art soon!

2011-02-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Cinderella: Fables are Forever Issue 1 came out yesterday! I am so excited that Cindy is back for a second series. To celebrate, Cindy in a bikini. In the snow. What more could you ask for?

Quick sketch/thumbnail...

Final cover, done with oil paint on 20"x30" wood panel in grayscale. Colors added with Photoshop.

Go check out the new series! You won't be disappointed.

2011-01-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

More Commishies...

Left: X-23 as a "Tron Program" sketch cover commission. She fights for the users.

Right: Palpatine (Darth Sidious) vs. Yoda commission.

Both are done with ink, marker, and some watercolor.

Just started a new sketchbook... thought I might share some doodles with you all:

I never really draw for myself much, so a sketchbook is a nice little escape. I hope to keep it up every week or so.

Thanks for looking :).

2011-01-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

A few more commissions for you all...

Top: I was commissioned to draw whatever I wanted, and I've been wanting an excuse to draw Travis Charest's Spacegirl. I absolutely love Travis' art style. I wish I could figure out how he does his magic. Ink and marker on 9"x12"

Bottom: Cinderella in Snow Gear (yes, she's a bit cold), and Phoenix commissions. Ink and marker on toned paper, also 9"x12".

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Minicon this past Saturday! It was a great time and I did a lot of commissions. I wish I could take a scanner to shows so I could document my drawings on-the-spot.

Upcoming events:

Emerald City Comicon, March 4-6th in Seattle, WA

I've gotten a few e-mails about pre-con commissions to be picked up at the show. I will take on a few more, if anyone is interested and going! See ya there! :)

2011-01-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick blog update...

Some upcoming appearances:

Charlotte Mini-Con on Saturday, January 22nd 2011 in Charlotte, NC

and

Emerald City Comicon, March 4-6th 2011 in Seattle, WA

Hope to see you guys there!

2010-12-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!
A few more commissions before the year is over...

Bride of Frankenstein, Disney Snow White and Fables Rose Red, Ayanami Rei

Hope everyone has a safe holiday. See you in 2011!

2010-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

A few recent commissions for you guys!

Wonder Woman commish, on 11"x17"

Nurse, Princess Peach riding Bullet Bill, and Miss Marvel, all on 9"x12"

Hope you guys like!

I'll be at the Charlotte ComiCon tomorrow from 10am-4pm. Hope to see you there! If not, Happy Holidays everyone.

2010-12-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

Fables Issue 100 came out yesterday. This issue is amazing; not only do you get amazing artwork (by Bill Willingham, finally!), great stories, celebrity Fables Q&A, and 100+ pages, but it also has a Fables boardgame. You would be crazy to miss it!

Here's a breakdown of the three pages I contributed:

Pencils, on 11"x17" Comic Art Paper

Inks

Colors, Done with watercolor, color pencil, and Photoshop.

You'll have to buy the issue to read what happens!

Hope you guys like it.

2010-12-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hullo again! Some new artwork for you all:

Above, sketch card commissions: Dr. Doom, World War Hulk, Psylocke, and Rogue. Chibi style...

Above: A private commission of a lovely couple. Done with acrylic wash, colored pencil, and ink. I really wanted to try a more realistic portraiture, and I stayed away from stylizing it too much. I just wanted it to be classic and timeless. I stained the paper with tea and lightly burned the edges as well. The photograph reference was from their honeymoon in Scotland.

Also, yesterday was my Birthday, and last weekend at my signing at Richard's, he threw a surprise birthday party for me, and I had to share some of the pictures with you guys. It was a really great event!

Lots of hidden yetis!

And a great card poster with signatures, and a Cinderella cake.

Was pretty awesome! Thanks again to Richard!

Also, a video interview that I did spur the moment at NYCC has surfaced! Incase you guys were interested. Til next time!

2010-11-23T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Received Spectrum 17 in the mail the other day, and Cinderella 3 made the cut! I was stoked to find a full page of Cindy, and right across from Art Adams! Very sweet! This was a total dream come true, I cannot tell you guys how exciting it is to be part of this great book.

The other weekend was NC Comic Con, and it was such a great show! I couldn't believe how many people came out, and I happily stayed busy the whole time. I got to pick up some great pieces from fellow artists, which I ofcourse will share with you guys:

On the left: Two more Yeti commissions to add to the collection. One from Jeremy Bastian (who I've blogged about before) and one from Eric Morin. Jeremy included his Cursed Pirate Girl in winter gear, which is totally awesome! Eric went all out on this amazing piece, and definitely a new look for the yeti! I was so happy to pick up these from truly amazing artists!

On the right: The famous Little Nemo piece by Jeremy is now mine! Well... a print of it. On tea/coffee-stained paper, and totally beautiful.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with their families and friends. If you are not too full from Turkey-gobbling, I'll be at Richard's this Saturday in Greenville, SC for a book signing! See you there.

2010-11-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

Girls, Girls, Girls

This size won't do justice, so click to see larger!

See an even higher-res version on DeviantArt

Each are 9"x12" Ink, Colored Pencil, Marker on Toned Paper

Here's some commissions from the mailing list from NYCC 2010. From top to bottom, left to right:

Arisia (Green Lantern), a Robot Girl, Supergirl, Balloon Girl, Tron Girl, Supergirl, Zatanna as Snow White (commissioned to draw my favorite comic book character dressed as my favorite film character), Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella in Snow Gear (possible preview? ;-) ), Cinderella in Scuba Gear, Black Cat, and Cinderella in Spy Gear.

Some more:

Top: Chibi Commissions for Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood) and Edward Scissorhands (always fun to draw),

Bottom: I was commissioned to draw "whatever I wanted" in a horror-themed sketchbook.

I finally got around to finishing all of these commissions a month after NYCC. They were great fun to draw, and I tried to take my time with each one. That is something that I have to not do at conventions, when I am pressed for time on each commission. I hope you guys like these!

See you this weekend at NC Comic Con!

2010-10-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

"Do You Think They Will Make Us Dream?"

A Little Nemo tribute piece. Inks, drawn in my sketchbook.

For the Hey Oscar Wilde! Blog

I was asked over a year ago to submit something to this amazing collection of art, and I warned the blogger, Steve, that I was going to take my time with it, and that I wanted to do a Little Nemo piece. I finally finished it earlier this month. If you love Little Nemo fanart, be sure to check out Jeremy Bastian's INSANE Little Nemo piece up on ComicArtFans.

Rogue and Gambit Commission on 11"x17", X-23 Commission on X-Men Sketch Cover

(Click to see larger.)

Raven haired Girls:

Zatanna, a Geisha, Shego from Kim Possible Commissions

(Click to see larger.)

If you are on the mailing list for commissions from NYCC, I am about halfway through and hope to get them all finished before mailing them all out. I will hopefully get done by the end of the week, if not early next week! They're coming though!

Also just a reminder: I will be at the NC Comic Con in Morrisville, NC on November 13-14. They have a great lineup of artists, so be sure to check it out!

2010-10-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

Things are finally getting a bit back to normal after NYCC!

The show was a total blast. Thanks to everyone who came by the booth and talked with me for a bit! I'm not sure how to wrap up the show; so many great things happened. A few highlights: getting to be on the Vertigo panel, the DC Dinner at the basement of the Empire State Building, great costumes at the show, and meeting so many new people. I stayed a few extra days in the city with my friend who lives there, so I defenitely got the whole New York experience (or at least as much as could fit in the limited time I was there.) There's so much happening in the city, it's hard to come back to Charlotte where things are at a slower pace. Some pictures for you all:

Here are a few commissions from the show (click to see larger.) Sorry for the poor quality, but the only way to keep a copy of these was with my camera! I did about fifteen commissions at the show, and have another fifteen waiting to be mailed off. If you are on the mailing list, expect an e-mail this week!

What I picked up at the show:

(1) Return of the Dapper Men : NYCC Exclusive preview print of the upcoming book from Archaia. The artwork is amazing, very Alice-in-Wonderland-y.

(2) Sara Richard Sketchbook and X-23 Print: I've blogged about her before, but I can't get enough of her stuff. You guys have to check her out!!

(3) The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare as Adapted by Eric Kim: Eric Kim sat behind me, and I was blown away by his artwork! His mix of anime/American style is really unique. Really nice guy too!

(4) Teddy and the Yeti: Really? Does this need an explanation? It's called Teddy and the Yeti. That's awesome.

(5) The Gyroscopic Non-Ornamental Mechanised Excavator (a.k.a. G.N.O.M.E.) by Doktor A: This is the only toy I bought at the show. Totally awesome, and fits well with my seven dwarves/gnomes/mechanical mustache collection.

(6) Mark Brooks Sketchbook: This man needs no introduction! If you guys don't know who he is, you shouldn't be reading this blog. 8)

(7) The God Machine: Another Archaia book, with amazing artwork by Chandra Free.

(8) The Wolverine ABC's by Sean Murphy: I'm a total fan of Sean's stuff, and geeked out meeting him in real life.

(9) Legends of the Guard by David Peterson: Issue 4 hasn't even come out yet, but NYCC had a pre-release of the hardcover. How could I pass up? Plus David Peterson was there to sign it!

(10) Jiji Makeup Bag from Kiki's Delivery Service: You guys know I'm a big Miyazaki fan, and I found this amazing Japanese bookstore in the city. I grabbed some Japanese fashion magazines and this little baggy. After seeing this film, I so badly wanted to change my black cat's name to Jiji... sorry Seph!

And finally, some cosplay!

Me with a steampunk Boba Fett, with CINDERELLA of Fables!, and with Wonder Woman!

Ok, back to work!

2010-10-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Just made the long drive up to the big city for New York Comic-Con! The city is already awesome, and I can't wait for the show tomorrow. Here's a preview of my new sketchbooks I had printed for the show, which includes 32 pages of sketches, commissions, paintings, etc.

As far as convention sketching, I've been switching it up a bit and doing commissions on toned paper with white highlights. Here's an example of a commission I did at Baltimore Comic-Con, and this is the type of drawing I will be doing at the show:

Also a reminder, I'll be on the Vertigo panel on Saturday, hopefully not making a fool of myself.

Some more artwork for you guys:

(Aerith from FF7 Watercolor Commission, click to see larger)

I was commissioned to draw an Aerith watercolor at Baltimore. The commissioner asked me if I was familiar with the game Final Fantasy VII... I had to explain that I had maxed 99 hours of gameplay, named my cat Sephiroth, and listen to the soundtrack while I work.

Well, I'm off to find some New York Cheesecake! See you guys tomorrow.

2010-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hey boys and girls, I know I haven't been very blog-active this month, but I have a ton of artwork that I'm just finishing up and will post up soon. Expect the Fables 100 sequential pages, 2 oil-painted commissions, a Little Nemo tribute piece, inked commissions, and new Cinderella. In the meantime, I thought I could post up a reminder about upcoming events:

New York Comic-Con: October 8-10 in New York, NY
**Will also be at the VERTIGO Panel to talk about Bill and Fables #100 on Saturday, Room 1A06-7 from 3:45pm-4:45pm**

NC Comic-Con: November 13-14 in Raleigh, NC

Richard's Comics and Collectables Store Signing: November 27 in Greenville, SC

(for Fables 100!)

Charlotte Comi-Con: December 19 in Charlotte, NC

See ya there!

2010-09-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Baltimore Comic-Con was a great show! I finally got to meet Matt Wagner (by the way, one of the nicest, coolest guys ever!) and probably embarrassed myself a bit in doing so. Thanks to everyone that came by and commissioned a piece or bought a book, print, artwork. Also: Thanks to everyone in Delaware at Captain Blue Hen's! It's such a great comic shop, please go check it out if you are ever in the area! I met so many great people and had such a great experience.

I thought I could use this blog entry as a spotlight for other artists that I met at the show. I love finding new artists to fall in love with, and the Artist Alley was booming with new creativity.

First- Jeremy Bastian

I first saw Jeremy's work in David Peterson's "Legends of the Guard". To see him work in person is amazing. Jeremy works small but has extremely detailed pieces, and inks everything with a brush. He writes and illustrates his own comic "Cursed Pirate Girl", and was drawing some incredible artwork at the show. Check out his stuff here.

Spaghetti Kiss

Artist Michael S. Brasco writes and illustrates his own comic and designs his own clothing. I bought a ton of his t-shirts for myself and my friends! It was hard to pick a favorite. Check out his stuff here.

Sara Richard
Sara's artwork at the show really stood out because of her linework-- she told me she couldn't draw a straight line to save her life, and it defenitely worked out for her. Her artwork is drawn with wavy strokes, making each drawing really fresh and full of movement. I fell in love with her stuff right away. Plus, you could get a watercolor commission from her on-the-spot. Check her out here.

Bradd Parton and Alpha-Sketch

Bradd Parton did all of his sketches entirely out of letters from the alphabet. Defenitely a unique way to draw! Really fun artwork to look at. Check out his stuff here.

I also managed to snag a commission from David Peterson. I love "Mouse Guard", and he was at the top of my list for getting an original piece. I asked for a Yeti with a mouse, and pretty much left the rest to him. Check out this great piece:

I can't wait to add it to my yeti art collection.

:-D

2010-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Madame Xanadu was released yesterday! Thanks for everyone who picked up this issue. Here are some preview pages if you haven't grabbed it already:

The issue has a great cover by my friend Mark Buckingham! You might find a particular black cat on the first page. This issue was great fun to do, and I was able to pay small tribute to one of my heroes, Winsor McCay.

Thanks again to everyone who came by! Aspiring artist Julian made me a custom Yeti munny to celebrate the release date! This was awesome, I have to share it with you guys:

I'm so thankful to know such great people. I really appreciate this Julian!

And finally, a commission of The Thing and The Question for a pickup at Baltimore, and an illustrated self-portrait for an interview I did for Charlotte Magazine.

Speaking of interviews, check out this great interview I did for Comic Book Resources!

See you guys Friday at Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE (5pm-8pm) and at Baltimore Comic-Con on Saturday and Sunday. I just saw the floor plan and realized I'll be sitting next to Mike Allred! Too sweet.

See you in Baltimore!

2010-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Medusa (Marvel) and Aayla Secura (Star Wars) painted commissions, both are 24"x30" oils on wood

(Click to see larger image)

Hello everyone! Just a reminder that Issue 26 of Madame Xanadu comes out next Wednesday. This is the issue that I've done all of the interior sequential artwork for (will have a preview of the finished pages in next blog post!). I will be signing copies and drawing free sketches at Rebel Base Comics and Toys in Charlotte, NC the day of release. Please go pick it up and support this great story!

Also, Baltimore Comic Con is next weekend! I'm preparing everything to go, but if you can't make it to the show and live in Delaware, I'll be doing a store signing at Captain Blue Hen Comics the Friday before! Here's more details:

August 27th from 5pm-8pm: Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE (Store Signing)

August 28th-29th: Baltimore Comic Con 2010 in Baltimore, MD

Hope to see you there!!!

2010-08-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love" the trade-paperback is now available at comic shops! It should be out at your Borders/Barnes&Noble/bookstores by next week. The finished copy looks AMAZING. I love how they incorporated some of my covers in the inside pages. If anyone didn't pick up this book, they would be fools! Just saying.

Some artwork for you all:

A colored Batgirl commission on 11"x17" paper. Done with inks and gouache.

A werewolf for my friend Bridgit Scheide, who likes Werewolves even more than I like yetis. Check out her blog, and go and fall in love with her amazing artwork!

2010-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Still adjusting to normal life after returning from San Diego Comic-Con... The show was a total blast, and the highlight for me was, ofcourse, the Fables Forum! Some big announcements were made, and everyone received these nice blue hankerchiefs. I wonder what they mean? :)

Matt Sturges, Chris Roberson, myself, Andrew Pepoy, Todd Klein, Steve Leialoha, Shelly Bond, and of course, Bill Willingham.

One announcement is that more Cinderella is on the way! I've read Chris Roberson's new storyline, and am super excited to get started on it, hopefully bringing even better cover artwork to the table.

I've been really busy since getting back, and hopefully have even more big projects underway. Will hopefully be able to blog about them soon.

Also, I'll be at the Charlotte ComiCon tomorrow (Sunday, August 1st) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Charlotte from 10am-4pm. Hope to see you there!

2010-07-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Just getting ready to leave for San Diego tomorrow. If anyone is traveling out there, have a safe trip! I'm sure I will take a lot of pictures and have a huge blog entry about it after I get back.

Some news though, I'll be doing some sequential pages for Fables Issue 100! I wasn't sure if I had posted about that or not...

Anyways, some art before I leave:

For the record, I can never get tired of drawing Ambrose... He's my favorite character from the Fables universe. I think it's that mop on his head.

'Til next time!

2010-07-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

San Diego Comic Con is just a week away! Here is where I'll be and when:

Thursday, July 22

12-1pm Signing at DC Booth (#1915)

Friday, July 23

4-5pm Signing at DC Booth

Saturday, July 24

4-5pm: Signing at DC Booth

6:45-7:45pm: PANEL: Fables Forum 2010 (Room 6DE) *Maybe a big announcement?*

Sunday, July 25

2:30-3:30pm: Signing at DC Booth

I can't wait for the madness that is Comic Con. Please come by and say hi if you are going!!

Also, I'm finishg up my Madame Xanadu issue this week. It is Issue 26 and comes out August 25th (if memory serves me right), so make sure your comic shop orders enough copies! The story is also very stand-alone, so even if you are not familiar with the series, it is still a great read!

No artwork this time around, as all my time has gone into these sequential pages lately. I can't wait to post them all soon and show you guys what I've been working on the past three months!

'Til next time.

2010-06-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

Desktop. And a Yeti (a very important addition to the work environment).

Here's a look at how I'm creating the interiors for Madame Xanadu. The pages are getting an acrylic wash treatment in grayscale, then they are scanned, and then I am adding colors digitally. Painting 22 pages may be a lot, but I think the added textures and time will really help the artwork in the story.

Have a good 4th o' July this weekend, everyone!

2010-06-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

I will be at the "Return of the Mini Con" this Saturday in Monroe, NC. It is a free family-friendly convention, and I will be drawing free sketches! The convention is at the Monroe Library in Downtown Monroe, from 1pm-6pm. For more information, please click here.

Also, here is my Convention Schedule this summer. Hope to see you guys there!

July 21-25: San Diego Comic-Con International (signing at the DC booth)
August 28-29: Baltimore Comic-Con (Artist Alley Table)
October 8-10: New York Comic-Con (Artist Alley Table)

I didn't want to put a blog post with no artwork, so here's some more commissions for you all, including some oldies:

2010-06-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back!

I'm sorry for not updating sooner about the Heroes Convention here in Charlotte, but I must have caught a con bug because I became terribly sick shortly after the show. The show was a total blast and a huge success. I couldn't complain about sitting next to Bill Willingham himself, and Chris Roberson! I met so many great people and drew until my hand fell off. Thanks to everyone who came and talked, bought a print or comic, commissioned me, or just waved. I didn't sleep all weekend but it was so worth it.

So, some pictures for you guys!

Here's some of the commissions from over the weekend. I couldn't record every drawing: on the first day I forgot my camera, and on the second and third day I forgot to photograph each drawing. I've found some on the internet and people have also e-mailed me theirs. But here's nine for now! I always (happily) get a lot of Fables commissions, and it was a treat to draw Totoro again.

Here's a few pictures I found of myself at my table. I always forget to take a picture of myself, so thankfully other people did! The beautiful blonde is my mom, who suprised me Sunday! She came bringing sushi and helped me work the booth all day. Now you all can see my inspiration, as she is the REAL Cinderella.

And lastly, here are some cool gifts I received!! On the left is a hand-carved NoFace and Totoro playing cards from fellow Miyazaki-fan Neil B.! My friends all fell in love with the NoFace. On the right is drawing of an Alien from Ryan B., who just graduated from the same art school as me! I love the Alien films, so this was a huge honor to get an original of his! Be sure to check out Ryan's artwork here.

Note: If you commissioned me at the show and are expecting a drawing in the mail, I will be getting to those drawings this weekend. Being sick put me behind on work, but I'm catching up on everything now!

Thanks again everyone. I'm back at the Madame Xanadu pages, and I can't wait to show everyone when they are finished.

2010-05-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I've been a busy bee lately, but unfortunately I cannot show you guys everything... yet!

Here is a preview though, a few shots from around the studio...

Hope this can suffice for now.

HeroesCon is this weekend!!! I am really excited, as it was a great show last year, and this year the guest list is HUGE! On top of that, Bill Willingham (creator/writer of Fables) AND Chris Roberson (creator/writer of Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love) are going to be there, so Fables fans will defenitely get their fix this weekend. I've been told that there might even be a Fables question and answer panel that I'll be a part of, but not for sure yet. Right now I am getting prints ready for my booth and practicing some sketching, because if last year was any indication then I will have to get my hand ready.

If you're in town or coming to town for the show, see you this weekend!

2010-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, as promised, the Contest Winners!

But first... the answers:

Thanks to contestant Dr. Kaldon for this graphic!

Issue 1: Seph is behind Cindy's hand.

Issue 2: Seph is sitting atop the building roof.

Issue 3: Seph's head is on the strap of Cindy's goggles.

Issue 4: Puss in Boots was modeled after Seph.

Issue 5: Seph is in the broom between Cindy's hands.

Issue 6: Seph is in the bottom left corner above the pumpkin.

And now... The Winners!!!

1st Name Drawn:

Meghan Anne

From Gloucester, MA!

Meghan wins an 11"x17" original drawing of any character she likes! PLUS signed copies of Cindy 1-6 and a Sketchbook! Congrats Meghan!

2nd Name Drawn:

Dylan Brucie

From Jenkintown, PA!

Dylan wins signed copies of Cindy 1-6 and a signed Sketchbook!

3rd Name Drawn:

Brian Green

From Greenbay, WI!

Brian wins a signed Sketchbook!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I'm sorry if you didn't win, but I will try to have more contests in the future with more prizes. And thanks again to everyone who has been keeping up with this blog!

The winners will be e-mailed tomorrow asking for their mailing address. And to Meghan Anne: think of a character you'd like drawn!

Thanks again!!!

2010-05-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, only one week left for the contest! Be sure to enter.

Also, I've gotten a few e-mails about taking any pre-con commissions for HeroesCon. I'm completely swamped with work, and won't be able to draw any commissions beforehand, in fear of not finishing everyone's before the show. I hope you guys understand. It will be first-come, first-serve at the Heroes Convention. Apologies again!

More artwork is coming soon.

2010-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, ENTER THE CONTEST!

Just a reminder, May 1st is Free Comic Book Day, and I will be at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC drawing free sketches and signing books all day.

That night, I will be back in Charlotte at Gallery Twenty-Two for their opening reception of the "Fine Art of Comics" art show:

Some comic book favorites like Adam Hughes and Mark Brooks will have pieces in the show! I've submitted some pieces as well, including the original Hack/Slash variant cover painting and the original black and white paintings of the Fables mock-covers I did, specifically for this piece and this piece. The opening reception starts at 7pm! Come by for a great show with food and drinks at Gallery Twenty-Two.

Here's a peek at some of the Star Wars ESB Cards I completed. I'm not sure yet if I will post all of them, but here are some of my favorites:

And some schematic cards:

I'll post my seven return cards when I receive them back. Hope you guys like; this time around there were wide-screen style cards, which was an interesting work space.

2010-04-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

First things first:

I will be at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC for Free Comic Book Day!

FCBD is May 1st this year. Please come by and see me for free sketches! I'll be heading down with my friends Derek and Nikki Davis from Bitter Tea Studios.

Also, great review of 'Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love' on Ain't it Cool News!

Alright, as promised, Contest Time!

This incredibly handsome feline in the poster is my pet cat, Seph. He has been missing for some time now, and I'm asking you all to use your supersleuth skills to find him. Rumor has it that he has been hiding in each of the Cinderella covers. If you can find him in each cover, your name will be entered in a raffle to win some prizes!

Prizes include:

1st name drawn: An original 11"x17" drawing of any character, your choice! Plus: Signed copies of Cinderella Issues 1-6 AND a signed Chrissie Zullo sketchbook

2nd name drawn: Signed copies of Cinderella Issues 1-6 AND a signed Chrissie Zullo sketchbook

3rd name drawn: Signed Chrissie Zullo sketchbook

How to Enter:
You must find the black cat Seph in each of the Cinderella covers. Click HERE to take you to my DeviantArt site gallery of the covers. I've uploaded hi-res versions of each cover, but you may still need a magnifying glass to find him. Once you have found him in each cover, submit your findings in an e-mail to CHRISSIEZULLO@GMAIL.COM with the title '2010 Contest'.
Please be sure to leave your name. If your findings are correct, your name will be put into a raffle.
The winning names will be drawn on May 15, 2010.
The winners will be announced here the following day, and an e-mail will be sent out to each winner asking for their mailing address.

Please enter, as I would really like a chance to give back to the people who have supported me this past year.

Thanks again to everyone who has been reading this blog. Put your detective hat on and enter the contest!

Need help finding Seph? Click "Read more" for some hints.

TIPS FOR FINDING SEPH:
Issue 1: Should be fairly easy to find in a forward-facing silhouette.
Issue 2: He is NOT hidden in the clouds.
Issue 3: He is NOT hidden in the rocky cliffs.
Issue 4: The obvious one is him.
Issue 5: He is not hidden in the folds of her dress.
Issue 6: He is NOT in the dark skies near the top of the cover.

2010-04-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

The final issue of 'Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love' hit the shelves this past Wednesday. I'm terribly bummed that this is the last issue, but knew from the start that this was a limited series. As always, here's the process:

Here are the thumbnails of the two ideas I had in mind. From these, the second idea was picked.

Here's the original sketch on 8.5"x11" paper.

Here's an in-progress look at the actual painting. Yes, Zelda lunchbox.

Final photoshop finish. Had little nods to the classic Cinderella story in this picture... Pumpkins, a stairway, a glass slipper, and a few other hidden goodies. This image was also heavily influenced by Jean Honore Fragonard's Fountain of Love.

Speaking of hidden things, stay tuned for a contest I'm planning soon. Prizes will include original artwork and signed copies of the comics! Check back soon!

2010-03-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

My six Star Wars Galaxy 5 return cards are now for sale:

From top to bottom, left to right:

Asajj Ventress, Darth Nihilus, Darth Talon

Jengo Fett, Slave 1, Boba Fett

Please e-mail me at chrissiezullo@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing any.

Thanks!

EDIT: Asajj Ventress and Darth Talon have been sold. Cards went to highest offer. Thanks to everyone who offered! 4 Cards left are still for sale.

2010-03-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so... big news first: I made it into Spectrum 17: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art Book, which is a huge deal to me, because I've collected all the previous books and all of my heroes have been published in these books as well. The bad news... it doesn't hit shelves until October! Ah well.

Here's some new arts for you guys:

Here's a piece I did for my local comic shop, Rebel Base Comics and Toys. The store owner writes his own comic book called Night, and I did a quick pinup of the main character for his new graphic novel debuting at C2E2. This was a return to Photoshop for me, meaning that it was entirely digitally painted with no middle work. It was a rushed job between projects, but I'm happy with the turnout.

And here's some more commissions (click to see bigger) ...

These are overdue commissions from before... Asajj Ventress was for an infamous Star Wars collector who had commissioned me to draw any Star Wars gal I wanted (previously, I drew Zam Wesell). And a Rocketeer chibi, because, well, Rocketeer is awesome. I've done lots of chibi drawings that I haven't put up, but I really liked this little guy so I decided to share.

More next time!

2010-03-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Some recent artwork...

Concepts for an upcoming project: Pencils/Photoshop

Madame Xanadu doodles, Pre-painting comission sketch of Medusa (Marvel): Both Pencil

And last month's commissions...

(Click to make bigger), Ink/Marker on 11"x17" paper

I'm still working on the next 100 Star Wars Cards for 'Empire Strikes Back' as well, as well as sequential pages for Madame Xanadu, which I am terribly excited about. I'll have more work soon, as I am trying to get everything done on schedule.

Also, I'll be at the Charlotte Comi-Con this Sunday (March 21) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Uptown from 10am-4pm. I'll be doing sketches and selling prints/comics. Come by and say hi!

2010-03-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Cinderella Issue 5 came out this past Wednesday, so as expected, here is the process for this cover! There was so much back-and-forth on this one. I originally inteded for this cover to be much busier, with a detailed background and lots of characters. My editor pushed for something simple, with almost no real background, but just a focus of the character. As usual, she was right, and this turned out to be one of my favorites. I also got to pay a small homage to one of my heroes, James Jean, for his beautiful cover for the Fables: Good Prince story arc.

Here are some of the original thumbnails. The idea of Cinderella now back to wearing rags and cleaning was one of the themes of the story, and my editor wanted to play up this idea.

Here are the final sketches of Cindy drawn on 8.5"x11" paper, with Aladdin in the reflection. The font title wasn't final yet, but this was the overall idea I had in mind.

Original Painting: Oils on Wood, 20"x30"

Final Photoshop finish.

2010-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts... I needed a break from art, where I didn't draw or paint for at least a week, that way I could come back to it with fresh eyes. This used to help me when learning to play an instrument, and works the same for drawing. But, this past week I have been painting and drawing, and will post up some new works soon.

The video interview I did for the Dollar Bin website won in their annual awards for "Video of the Year", which is pretty exciting. I got to record an acceptance speech, which turned into an interview... Thanks again to Adam and his fiancee for inviting me to the recording! (Audio track is NSFW due to language... I know some people and their children come to this site, so just warning!)

Also, I'm trying to get things organized for Convention season this year. I have applied to some, but will not know for sure for the next few months. The tentative schedule so far is:

HeroesCon (June 4th-6th) in Charlotte, NC

San Diego Comic Con (July 22nd-25th) in San Diego, CA

Star Wars Celebration V (August 12th-15th) in Orlando, FL

Baltimore Comic Con (August 28th-29th) in Baltimore, MD

Dragon Con (September 3rd-6th) in Atlanta, GA

New York Comic Con (October 8th-10th) in New York, NY

I'm still undecided for Free Comic Book Day, and every quarter I will be at the Mini-Cons here in Charlotte.

Will post more soon!

2010-02-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Big news + Tutorial time!

I just received more cards from Topps, and I'm signed on to do 100 more cards for The Empire Strikes Back series, which is fitting, because it's my favorite of the Star Wars movies (sorry, it has a Wampa and my favorite movie battle of all time, the battle of Hoth!). Hence, I am pretty stoked.

I'll also be getting to try my hand at interior sequentials! I'm signed on to do 22 painted pages for an upcoming issue of Madame Xanadu! If you haven't read this series, shame on you, because not only does it have great artwork, but it's written by the legendary Matt Wagner.

On a final note, I will NOT be taking any more personal commissions for the next few months, as I will have to devote almost all my time to the interior pages, and very overdue paintings from previous commissioners. I'm sorry about this!

Alright, now for a tutorial. I've had a couple people ask about my drawing and thought process. I love to help any way I can, so I've taken pictures of my process from a recent commission of Red Riding Hood from Fables.

Click "Read More" for the after-the-jump tutorial. (Warning: picture heavy).

Okay, first, here are some of the art materials I use when working on commissions.

Stencils and templates are always helpful (these can be a bit pricey, but are worth the investment). For an eraser, I mostly use a Kneaded Rubber eraser (no more eraser shavings!). In the bottom left, you can see a mechanical pencil (0.5mm), but this is just personal preference; some people enjoy the smoother stroke of regular pencils or colored pencils. Under it is a white gel pen used for highlights (an alternative to this can be white acrylic). There is also a silver/metallic marker, but I hardly use this.

To the top right, you can see some color Sharpies, which I like to use for some spot coloring. For inking, I like to use Micron Pens in black, in sizes 01, 03, and 05 (this is also a personal preference, as some people perfer to ink with a brush). Lastly, for coloring, I use Prismacolor Art Markers in French Grey Colors. An alternative to this is Copics, which are also very popular.

As for paper, I suggest Strathmore Bristol Paper in Smooth. This paper is ideal of inking and coloring, because it blends the marker nicely.

Step 1: Starting out the drawing with very basic shapes. I try to think about the overall composition and make use of all the positive and negative space. I'm using intersecting parallel diagonals to make for a more interesting composition, as well as some repetition.

(For a great tutorial on coming up with an interesting composition, click here for an in-depth tutorial by the super talented Marko Djurdjevic).

Step 2: I start cleaning up my lines and checking my proportions. I don't use any type of measurement guide (figure must be x heads high, eyes must be in middle of head, etc.) but try to draw more with feeling. I feel if you take measurements for drawing the figure too literally, your figures look very static/contrived. As long as the proportions make sense and the figure is believable in its environment, then that's what matters. (My figure drawing teacher might be mad at me saying that...)

Step 3: I start inking. For the bulk of the piece, I use the size 03 Micron pen, and 01 for smaller details.

Step 4: Most of inking is complete. Added a border, which is broken from elements in the picture. Also started playing with thick and thin line. Adding different weight to your linework will make it more interesting and help add depth. For example, the line of the bottom of the cape is thicker than the line of the top of the cape. It's also good to go back a re-ink curves to give them a smoother bend.

Step 5: To render, I start with the lightest grey, and gradually work darker (this is opposite to how I work on paintings, where I like to pull highlights from dark tones).

Step 6: Add middle tones...

Step 7: Then darker tones... don't be afraid to push your values.

Step 8: Continue this process for other elements. You don't always have to start so light, just the lightest shade of that element.

Step 9: She is Red Riding Hood... I thought this would be a good chance to do some spot coloring. Since the values were colored in grayscale, I go over with a red sharpie. The values are still all in place.

Step 10: Finishing up the values for the rest of the piece...

Step 11: Finishing up the piece. I filled in the border, and went over the exterior linework with a size 05 Micron Pen. Now to scan it in...

And here's the finished piece. Hopefully, the commissioner will like it...

Anyhow, I hope this helps. I still think I have a lot to learn and a long way to improve, so by no means is this the end-all of how to draw. I try to have fun with my artwork, and try not to look at it as "job". I also take my time (this piece took 4-5 hours..!) and encourage other artists to do the same. Listening to music also helps, and can sometimes be a good influence on what you draw.

This was for Katherine!

For more of my recent commissions, I've posted some on my DeviantArt site.

Thanks for looking!

2010-02-11T22:14:00.001-08:00

I just realized that Cindy 4 came out last week and I still haven't put up the process! Sorry about that. I also realized that I haven't showed any "thumbnails" yet for any of the Cinderella covers.

The deal with DC was to draw at least three quick ideas or thumbnails for each issue. From these three, my editor would pick one, and I would expand on it with a more in-depth sketch, then provide a color study, and then I would get to work on the final painting. Lastly, everything would be put together properly in Photoshop...

After reading the script, these were my three initial ideas. I don't care much for anatomy or specifics on these, I just try to capture an idea really quickly... It's always strange hearing back on the one that was chosen, as it sometimes isn't the "favorite"... I try to like every idea equally now...

Here's a bit more cleaned up (but not final) drawing of the thumbnail idea my editor chose. I did a quick color study in Photoshop to show her my choice for the palette.

Oil on Wood, 20"x30.

Here's the original painting. As you can see, I left some things out- the cat is very unspecific, and the three Houri at the top are absent. I later finished the cat completely in Photoshop, and the three women were a seperate drawing altogether that I also added in later.

Here is the final finish, with all the elements are added together.

Only two issues left!

Will update again soon with a pile of new commissions and news about upcoming projects.

2010-02-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone.

I was hired on to create a Variant Cover for Devil's Due, for their comic

"Hack/Slash" Issue 34. I eagerly agreed, as I was a fan of the comic from before (I was even Cassie for Halloween a few years ago, and my boyfriend was Vlad). I also got total freedom to do whatever I wanted, which was awesome, but also left me with no narrative to work from. I opted to go for a pin-up...

Sketch, Pencil on Paper, 8.5"x11"

Painting, Oil on Wood Panel, 16"x20" *For Sale*

Photoshop Finish.

This was also the first time I got to play around with the font title, as someone else was in charge of that for the Cinderella series. Speaking of which, Issue 4 comes out today, so go pick it up!

Anyways, I'm selling the original painting, if anyone is interested. Please e-mail me at chrissiezullo@gmail.com if you are wanting to purchase.

P.S. Anyone who commissioned me last month, I am trying to get everyone's finished by the end of the week. Some are already done, but I will be mailing everyone's out at once. Thanks for yor patience!

2010-01-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Star Wars Sketch cards are finally finished!

These were done for Topps Cards Star Wars Galaxy V Set.

It was a lot of work, but I'm going to miss waking up every morning and drawing Star Wars characters all day. There are 100 total, and each are unique characters (except for Asajj Ventress and a Stormtrooper, otherwise no other characters are repeated).

I decided to go Dark Side and baddies. There is an Amidala in there, but she did marry Darth Vader, so maybe she counts?

Take a look:

Villians from the Films and Princess Amidala

Seperatists and Friends

Various Sith

Video Game Sith and Enemies

Legacy and other Comic Book Darkside

Imperial Officers and Troops

Clone Troopers

Bounty Hunters

Droids, Ships, Lego Hoth Chocolate :)

Jabba the Hutt and Friends

Various Alien Races

I loved the small workspace, and I really got to practice using grayscale Prismacolor markers. From now on, all of my sketch commissions will be much more rendered-out like these cards.

I'm not sure if I have enough energy to name everyone off right now, but if anyone wants to take a stab at it, how many can you name? Know your enemy!

Want to see all of them in one big file? Click here.

'Til next time.

2010-01-20T08:44:00.001-08:00

Just a heads up: I'll be at Rebel Base Comics and Toys in Charlotte, NC on Friday to help promote their big store sale (70% off Comics, 30% off toys) and at Mountain Empire Comics in Bristol, TN Saturday to help promote their big store sale as well. If anyone lives nearby any of these, hope to see you there!

2010-01-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sneak peek at some of the sketch cards I've been working on for Topps Star Wars Galaxy V set. (Click to see it bigger...)

Have a good weekend everyone!

2010-01-12T08:32:00.001-08:00

I'm selling my painting "Bon Bon" that was featured in the Tata Gala Show towards the end of 2009. If anyone is interested, please e-mail me at chrissiezullo@gmail.com for inquiries/pricing.

The painting was featured in my blog here.

Thanks!

EDIT: The painting has been sold. Thank you!

2010-01-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, Happy New Year everyone!

Hope you all had a safe holiday, and made some reasonable resolutions (mine is to post more original artwork in the new year.) Thanks to everyone who helped support me in 2009.

Secondly, Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love Issue 3 came out yesterday. This is one of my personal favorites of the Cindy covers... I took a lot from Francois Boucher in this one, and my editor wanted a bit of a James Bond homage: I looked to the film Thunderball for costume ideas.

Here's my original sketch, next to a Photoshop quick-rendering of my color pallette, next to some inspiration. I sent this to my editor for my idea (as you can see, I'm very professional...)

Here's the original painting. The past few have been in grayscale, but for this one, I tried sepia tones. It is roughly 20"x30", oil paints on wood panel.

And here's the final piece, edited and colored in Photoshop. Can you spot my major flaw in the painting that had to be fixed in the final?

Thanks to everyone if you picked up this issue yesterday.

I've recently just finished a cover for Devil's Due Publishing's Hack/Slash, and am currently trying to finish 100 sketch cards for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy V set. Will post more soon!

2009-12-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope everyone had a safe holiday this past week. Here are my holiday cards I sent out this year; if you commissioned a large-scale piece from me this past year, you received one in the mail. From top to bottom, lef to right: U-Go Girl, Asuka, Zatanna, Red Sonja, the Frankenstein monster, a red Polaris, Totoro, Cinderella, Rose Red, Sadie from Young Liars, Yoda, and Super Girl.

I'll be at Charlotte Comicon tomorrow (Dec. 27th) doing sketches and selling prints and comics. Hope to see you there!

2009-12-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

Doodle, commission...

Cassie Hack and Zam Wessel.

Getting ready for Hack/Slash and Star Wars... I was commissioned to do any Star Wars gal I wanted, so I thought instead of your Leia's and Amidala's that I would draw someone a little more off-beat. I thought she/it was an awesome-looking character the brief minute she's in the film. Maybe I just like helmet girls. What's with really great-designed Star Wars characters having little/no screen time?

Anyways, I'll have lots more artwork posted soon for Christmas...

2009-12-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

I made #80 on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book covers of 2009!!!!!!!

Click Me!

2009-12-15T13:48:00.001-08:00

Some recent commissions...

I'm currently working on a cover for the comic book Hack/Slash, and sketch cards for Topps Star Wars series. More to come soon.

2009-12-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Cinderella Issue 2 came out this past Thursday...thought I could share the original gray-scale painting...

Oils, inks on Wood Panel, 20"x30"

Photoshop Finish.

Just a reminder, I'll be at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find this Saturday for an in-store signing from 2pm-5pm. Hope to see you there!

2009-11-29T14:59:00.001-08:00

Arbadacarba! (W.I.P. shot)

Hello all, I hope everyone had a filling Thanksgiving! Sorry for not posting much; I have been busy though, working on projects and commissions, more than ever before. I will be posting them all eventually, as I will try to get them all finished before the Christmas holiday. I thought I could share a work in progress of a painting I'm working on now for a big Zatanna art collector.

In other news, I will be at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find on December 12th for a store signing during their holiday store sale. So bring your Cindy comics! (Speaking of, Cinderella Issue 2 comes out this week!) Thanks again for Neil on this, I owe you one! Or two!!

I'll also be at the Charlotte Comi-Con December 27th.

I'll have the process work for Cinderella Issue 2 in my next post.

Also: I've been getting a lot of e-mails about whether any of the original Cinderella artwork is for sale. They are currently not for sale, but I will be selling the original paintings and sketches early next year.

...On a final note, I found a Samus on my desk today... in her Phazon Suit...

2009-11-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Video Interview!

This interview was done by Adam from The Dollar Bin website last Saturday at Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC. Hope you guys watch and like!

Click me! for Video from their site.

2009-11-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

I managed to finish a painting in time for the Tata Gala this year, "a show about breasts for breasts". A portion of the proceeds is being donated to breast cancer research. The show is November 14th in Sarasota. I won't be able to make it, but I wish I could go! If anyone is interested in purchasing, please contact the Sarasota Design Center. Thanks again to Neil for the heads up on this show.

Here's the piece matted and framed before being shipped out.

See the image on my DeviantArt site.

2009-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

Cinderella came out today!

I was at my local comic shop to see the issues first come out of the shipping box from Diamond. I was so happy; it has been such a crazy and unexplainable day. It's hard to believe I have an issue in my hands now, having finished the first cover in January. Check out the reverse side of the cover--there's an ad for Doctor Who...I think that's a good sign! (I really don't mind David Tennant on the back of my first cover at all...)

Anyways, in good Fables and James Jean tradition, I thought I could post the process work for the first cover here on my blog.

I was really nervous when I first got this gig, and went through a lot of thumbnailing back and forth with my editor (Shelly Bond, who is amazing by the way). I am a huge Fables fan, and didn't want to dissappoint other Fables fans, or the Fables creator himself, Mr. Willingham. These first thumbnails are very fairy-tale and whimsical, but really didn't fit the tone of the story. These are a bit ornamental, and needed to be more "super-spy". I knew I wanted to have that Fables-whimsical feel, but also had to incorporate espionage and action with my drawings.

Cindy 1 Pencil Sketch on 8.5"x11" paper. This was the final design with the Big Ben pattern added in Photoshop behind her. I blew this up and printed it out, transfering it onto a 20"x30" piece of wood.

Cindy 1 Painting: Acrylics, Oils, and Ink on 20"x30 Wood Panel.

Cindy 1 Photoshop Finish.

All the colors and effects/fonts were added with Photoshop CS3. Here's the final finish.

Thank you to everyone who picked up this issue today!

2009-10-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love Issue 1 is almost here. To help promote it, I will be doing in-store signings at two comic shops. I'll also be doing free sketches! So be sure to stop by and pick up a copy.

Wednesday, November 4th (release date):

Rebel Base Comics and Toys

Charlotte, NC

From 12am-2pm, 4pm-9pm

Saturday, November 7th:

Richard's Comics and Collectables

Greenville, SC

From 12:30am-4pm

2009-10-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Baltimore was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who came by to see me.

I met a lot of great people in Baltimore, and had an amazing trip. I was drawing commissions until the very last minute of the show, and loved every minute of it. I saw some great costumes, some great personal sketchbooks (a few people had original James Jean sketches in their sketchbooks, which was a treat to see), and met really talented people and fans excited for the upcoming Cinderella comic.

It was a little surreal walking into the convention center and seeing a poster of Cindy in the DC Booth. I was really stoked, and it was a great way to start the weekend.

My prints and sketchbooks seemed to be a big hit, and I also sold my first painting ("Just a Shell") to Steve Niles, writer/creator of "30 Days of Night"!

After the long weekend, there was a dinner for the Diamond Retailer Summit at Geppi's Entertainment Museum. Adam and I were able to sneak into it, thanks to our local comic shop owner, Troy Hasbrouck (Rebel Base Comics and Toys). This museum was a total treat; it displays an era of American popular culture that I love. I saw original Winsor McCay pages, Action Comics #1 (the first appearance of Superman), original Alex Ross paintings, original Walt Disney pages, old Disney movie posters, a collection of the original Oz books, a collection of old Star Wars toys; I can't even type it all, the museum was so overwhelming. Some pictures for you guys:

Original Winsor McCay pages!

These pictures hardly do the museum justice; if you are ever in Baltimore, you need to see this place!

Finally, on the last day, we visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Some of my favorite pictures from the visit:

'Til next time, Baltimore.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this blog! I'll try to keep updating as much as possible, and love reading what you guys have to say.

Thanks again.

2009-10-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Baltimore Comic-Con... Heading out tomorrow...

Hopefully it will be a good show! I'm finishing up commissions right now, and probably shouldn't be playing on the internet. I'm excited to have sketchbooks ready (special thanks to Adam, who designed the layout and put the whole book together, but refused to have his name anywhere on it...); it collects a lot of my art, in addition to some private sketchbook drawings that no one has seen before.

One of my pre-con commissions...

Totoro, To-To-Ro

See you in Baltimore!

2009-10-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

A blurb about me on Vertigo's Blog!

Very cool.

Click me!

2009-10-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Baltimore Comic-Con is this weekend! I am currently trying to put things together to get ready for the trip. I plan on having sketchbooks this time; a lot of people asked about it at HeroesCon this past summer. I'll also have more original artwork/paintings for sale, and also the original painting of Cindy #1 will be on display. If anyone who reads this is attending, please come see me at Table #93 in Artist Alley!

Abandoned painting...

And... I found a Nemo with a candlestick on my desk today...

2009-09-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Was sick with the flu recently; apparently it's going around town here, because it seems like everyone is getting it. I was finally feeling better today, so decided on taking a trip to a local park. I go there to draw quick figure studies occasionally, but today I just took pictures instead.

A friend on DeviantArt told me about the Tata Gala, an art show coming up that raises money for breast cancer. It's my next painting, if I can decide on a sketch to finalize. This show is up for anyone who wants to join it, and here is the website with more information:

Link

Random sketchbook study. Will hopefully start on a new painting soon.

2009-09-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Not really an art update post, but still...

I'm a bit obsessed with teapots and tea (I'm a pretty avid drinker of hot teas) and have sortof started a teapot collection. Well...not really a collection; I only have three at the moment...! But I found this one today at an old antique store, and just had to have it. I restored it and gave it some shine, and re-painted it's handle and knob. It reminded me of a "steampunk" teapot I saw online.

I think I have to call it Caractacus...Potts...

2009-09-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

There's a really great spread for 'Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love' in the latest Previews Magazine. You'll even find a preview of the first few pages of the comic. If you haven't looked at this yet, go look at it now!

(I was really excited when I saw it...I bought three copies...)

Here's a commission that I'm currently working on:

Should be finished soon, I'm so slow at drawing sometimes.

2009-09-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hello all... I've decided to start a new art blog. I will hopefully keep this updated as much as possible, and record some interesting life occurences and art piece progressions/experiments...

Stay tuned...