New Universals artwork
by Salvador Larroca.
Image taken from
“Lady, That’s My Skull”

Salvador Larroca is the artist currently drawing “New Universal,” Marvel’s revamp of Jim Shooter’s New Universe stuff from the ’80s. I don’t know if the series is any good, but I noticed that Larroca is using a lot of photo reference of real actors and you can easily identify the actors in most cases. I don’t know if this is a good idea or bad. Obviously if you go to this extreme, it’s bad.

Photo reference helps me break out of my drawing ruts. I tend to draw the same faces over and over again, but drawing from photos (or life, I suppose,) makes me look at what’s actually happening. Plus, it’s fun to try to capture likenesses.

The problem with using photo reference is that errors can be pretty glaring. If you goof, something just looks off, especially if you recognize the actor.

I’ve also noticed that my drawings look a little generic, for lack of a better word. If I’m going to use photos, I’d like to work on stylizing the drawings. I also want to make sure the characters “act.” Duncan Fegredo, Steve Skroce and Terry Dodson are masters at making good-looking art with characters who actually act, not simply pose. This might be the subject of another post.

In the case of science fiction or superhero comics, it gets more difficult to draw a page when I use photo reference. Backgrounds and other figures might have a cartoony, stylized look, while the main character’s face looks completely out of place. Also, big heroic poses look down-right goofy with photo-realistic faces.

I decided to draw from a photo this morning. Here’s John Crichton from Farscape (actor Ben Bowder.)

John Crichton, Pencil and Photoshop, 6/16/07

Sketch

Reference