Gasp!

I've finally gone back to an acrylic painting I started in November. Yes... November. Thankfully, my Stay-Wet Palette is so awesome that it kept my paints moist that entire time. Science!

Delphinapterus leucas

I was at the aquarium several months ago, taking photos of the belugas, when the very small child in the stroller next to me pointed frantically and blurted out "Aboogas!" It was one of the cutest things I had ever heard in my life, so occasionally "aboogas" slips out when I talk about them. They're among my favourite cetaceans (who am I kidding? They're all my favourites somehow), and it had been a long time since I'd drawn any.

Some new prints were added to etsy today! The manta rays, zebra shark, and bottlenose dolphins are now available. Each purchase of a shark print from my store will have 20% donated to the Shark Trust - only the zebra shark is printed at the moment, but more are coming!

Rhincodon typus

My first whale shark, probably of many. I love them, especially their markings. It's not the most interesting of compositions, but I'd thought about adding a little entourage of fish and decided that'd be more suited to a picture closer to the surface. I'm definitely on an elasmobranch binge lately.

Better quality on the website as always!

Stegostoma fasciatum

Isn't that one of the greatest scientific names you've ever heard? I love it. A quickish zebra shark, done for my good friend and fellow former marine educator Jessica Steele Allen, whose love for these cute little sharks is unmatched.

Viewable in higher quality on the website, and you can also follow my FB page for in-progress images and stuff!

The People's Princess

The second sketch for someone on tumblr! Crystal was requested by sistervenom, who is quite possibly the biggest fan of her out there. I love her design, especially the hairband. I'd asked Jamie before whether it was a physical band or just markings on her hair, as it varies so much depending on the artist, but the general consensus seems to be band. So there you go!

Excalibur

Please view this in the larger size, as blogspot makes the smaller version look super dumb! I recently opened myself up for sketches on tumblr and got requests for some really cool characters. The very first one to pop up in my inbox (from bovineblood-beast) was Faiza Hussain, AKA Excalibur, the young Muslim doctor from Captain Britain and MI:13. I loved that series and really liked the character, so it was fun to have an excuse to draw her.

Spaceships

These manta rays are hopefully the first of many elasmobranchs from me. I found them incredibly fun to do, given that their physiology is so different to the cetaceans I usually draw. They've always reminded me of some kind of otherworldly spacecraft; seeing them in person, and watching them move, blows my mind every time. They're just fantastic animals.

Higher quality version at the website!

Sensationally footless

This was supposed to be a full body picture but I drew her too far down on the page. Oh dear.

Mohawk Storm Appreciation Post

Tonight I doodled and all of a sudden Mohawk Storm appeared because I absolutely love this look for her and wanted to see how I'd draw it. So, um?

oh dear

Well, I got about this far with my manta rays...
...when my almost-eight-year-old tablet promptly shat itself and has been misbehaving ever since. I believe there is something tablet-shaped under the Christmas tree, though, because - like a 6'4, dark-haired, male Emma Frost - the Mr somehow knew.

But I mustn't dally on white lingerie. I doodled this horrible thing just now:


If you haven't been watching the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes series, you really should be. It had Mockingbird. In a cartoon!

Updates and apologies

Sorry for the severe lack of updates to my Marvel Alphabet! I've succumbed to a complete loss of motivation for it. I got so wrapped up in an acrylic painting that I'm still working on that I've moreorless abandoned it (at least for a while). I may get back to it, but at the moment my priorities are on commissions and my website.

Did I say website? Oh my!

http://www.jenrichardsart.com
I have plans to add more to it, like a blog specific to the site to document my process, but for now it acts as a portfolio for all those whales and dolphins I like to draw. I am however trying to branch out into other marine life (it's not like I lack the reference photos) - whenever I set out to draw something that isn't a cetacean it stills ends up being an orca most of the time, so here's a quick outline I just penciled that I'm about to start attacking with my tablet:

Couldn't sleep, must doodle

Quick sketch of Namora and some (rather poor) butterflyfish.

It's been a while

I'd started this a couple of months ago, and put it aside to work on my Kalina tribute when she died. I've worked on it on and off since then, but finally pushed ahead to get it finished today because I'm eager to use acrylics again and didn't want to leave this sitting around unfinished!

In 2008 I spent some time observing Tilikum and little Trua at SeaWorld Orlando and was lucky enough to get photos of them playing, so I'd been meaning to do a picture like this for a while.

I have an etsy shop, by the way! I'll be making this one available ASAP. So far all of my prints are small, but larger ones will be up there very soon. Thanks for taking a look!

J is for Jessica Jones

I keep going back and forth on whether or not I prefer the sketch or the coloured version, so here's both.
I like Jessica a lot, but hot damn does she need a new costume if she ever gets back into the spandex. White all over! Unsupported boobs! Horrifyingly impractical! I should stop trying to apply logic to superhero costumes!

I is for Iron Fist

Danny Rand is among the characters I like best. He's just totally awesome.

H is for Hawkeye (the other one)

Well, I really like purple. I also like too many characters that begin with the letter H, but I recently found a horrifyingly bad drawing I'd done of Kate Bishop a few years ago, so I felt like making up for it. She rules.

Achieving the impossible

Well, they did it somehow. Marvel has created a universe in which I like Hank Pym, AND Janet, at the same time. The new Avengers cartoon has been awesome so far, I dig the style and can't wait for more characters to turn up. Like Mockingbird. Who is in it. Best series ever.

Anyway, so apparently thinking about how I like the Wasp's design in this led to a weird mishmash of styles. I don't even know.

G is for Gorilla Man

Namora was obviously my favourite Agent of Atlas, but Gorilla Man came very, very close. He's cool as hell. Bonus for being the first gorilla I've ever drawn.

Veil

Out of all the Avengers Academy kids, I think Veil and Mettle are tied as my favourites. As simple as it is, I just think Veil's design is completely and totally awesome. I did a pencil sketch of her a while back (which I obviously hate now) and had the sudden urge to draw her again, but to ink it with actual pens. Shock! Horror! It was actually really fun (the last time I inked something by hand was years ago) so I'm looking forward to doing more of it.

Also! Thank you so much Awesomed By Comics for the mention the other day! I'm so thrilled someone liked my Fin Fang Foom so much. The compliments were lovely and meant a lot to me, so thank you!

F is for Fin Fang Foom

I love Fin Fang Foom. He's simultaneously ridiculous and awesome. Kevin was insisting that I draw a funny picture and give him purple pants, but I tried and failed and made him a bit more bad ass instead. (Hopefully?) I just like dragons a lot and think he's been made fun of too much. He's cool. Deal with it.

E is for Echo

I know I said I wasn't looking to colour these, but I felt like it this time. Also wanted to add some variation to the ethnicities I draw!

C and D are for Cloak and Dagger

Holy hell. I drew a pair of feet.

B is for Beta Ray Bill

Wow, these first two have been really underwhelming. I promise I'll do something that isn't a static bust next time, but I drew him at the bottom of the page and couldn't fit a body in. Beta Ray Bill is a favourite of mine though, and the badass my fish is named after.

Kalina

Please click for the bigger version!

I really wish this wasn't another tribute piece. Kalina, the first orca born and raised in captivity, died very suddenly this month at the age of 25. I've seen her many times over the last few years and she was always fascinating to watch, especially when she was with the younger whales - it's a shame that she wasn't around when her mother Katina gave birth last week. She was very much a "people whale" like Keiko was.

I referenced a photo I took back in 2008; she had this rather endearing habit of turning her head as she bowed like she was looking around at everyone. I've always found her interesting physically because she had a much "rounder" body type than the other orcas. I always loved her freckles!

Well I never!

This started out as a light pencil sketch that I was doing as a way for me to loosen up with the pencil some, since I get so bogged down with solid lines. Unfortunately, my scanner and I are currently fighting, so the scanned image turned out so terribly I inked it digitally... which I never do. Honestly, the biggest challenge with this for me was "simplifying" the dolphins, which is why they kind of suck. All I want to do is give them as much detail as possible and make them as photo-realistic as I can, so I literally had to take the tablet pen away from myself after a short while so I wasn't too tempted. I need to find a midway point. Anyway!