Personal Work
This section features a range of personal and unpublished pieces, along with a look into my process — from pencil studies to final artwork. Most of the drawings are done on Mylar ( A drafting film), though some are on paper.
I work in oils, gouache, and pencil, sometimes scanning my drawings and digitally coloring them to push the mood or experiment with tone. My earlier work is a mix of gouache finishes and digitally enhanced Mylar studies. Now I work mainly in oils. While the tools and techniques vary, each piece is an exploration of character, storytelling, and atmosphere — created on my own terms.
Wolverine
I first met Wolverine in Uncanny X-Men #111. The X-Men had been captured by Mesmero and hypnotized into working at a carnival. The Beast, investigating their disappearance, finds the team scattered among the sideshows — some as performers, others as freak exhibits. Wolverine was chained up like a wild man: a savage, feral attraction.
When Beast himself is captured, something stirs in Wolverine’s foggy, manipulated mind. He snaps out of it. Then, with raw power and sheer will, he shatters his chains, breaks the spell, and helps free the rest of the team.
That was my first impression of Wolverine: fierce, unpredictable, cool. A brutal fighter. A primal force of nature. Becoming one of my favorite characters
Years later, after Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, comic writers began exploring darker territory. Wolverine’s ferocity was cranked up — sometimes to absurd levels. He stopped being a wild man with a code and became something else entirely: a psychopathic killing machine.
It stopped making sense. Why would anyone, let alone the X-Men, would let this guy near children, much less put him in charge of them?
That question stuck with me. What if Wolverine wasn’t a misunderstood hero at all? What if we viewed him through a different lens — not as a man, but a monster? Not unlike the Wolfman or Mr. Hyde.
That was the idea behind the first drawing: Wolverine as something mythic and terrifying. I liked it enough to turn it into a painting — a cold night sky behind him, drenched in blue.
But I struggled with that first piece. The drawing wasn’t fully realized. My wife pointed out something simple but dead-on: “He’s an angry character. Shouldn’t the sky be red?”
She was right.
I went back to the drawing board — literally — and reworked the composition on mylar, refining the anatomy, posture, and structure. The result felt more focused, more intentional. Then I painted it again — this time under a red sky. Hot, angry, haunted.
That final version felt true to the idea: Wolverine not as a hero, but as something more primal. More dangerous. More monstrous.
At least… that’s I see him now.
Green Lantern Corps
I once heard Neal Adams talk about creating John Stewart. He said there wasn’t much of a physical description of the character, so he thought, Well, it doesn’t say he isn’t Black. So, he made him a Black man — a progressive move for 1972 at DC.
I think John’s best incarnation was in the Justice League cartoons around 2000. I wanted to do a piece featuring him, but I’ve always liked the Corps as a whole. I included some of my favorite members but kept John — and to a lesser extent, Hal — front and center.
Much like the Wolverine, I realized I hadn’t developed my pencil study enough to resolve issues before I painted. Midway through, I stopped and did the Mylar study. It took way longer than it should have, but it taught me an essential lesson in due diligence.
Perfect Storm to Black Widow
My friend Rob Jones created a character named Erin Storm. He gave her stories and what I think is a fantastic title: Perfect Storm. When Rob started losing steam with the project, he asked me to help. I fleshed out her character and backstory, eventually becoming the writer and her co-creator.
I did an illustration for the back cover of our self-published first issue. When I showed it around, people assumed it was the Black Widow. To be fair, Erin’s original design was very similar — something we’ve since addressed.
After we updated Erin’s look, I thought, why not just repaint this one as Black Widow? Erin’s version was done in gouache; Black Widow is in oils.
The Two Jokers
I met Neal Adams at San Diego Comic-Con in 2006. I had been working on building my portfolio after spending the last few years intensely focused on improving my technique and anatomy. I’d heard Neal reviewed artists’ work, and I was excited to get his opinion — he was one of the artists who had inspired me to pursue art in the first place. He was an amazing artist.
I mentioned it to a few friends to see if they planned to do the same. I assumed they would, but they were hesitant. Neal had a reputation for being brutal. I thought that was perfect. One thing I’ve found as an artist: honest, helpful feedback is rare.
I showed him the piece on the left. He liked it, but said it was unfinished. I asked what he meant, and he said it lacked detail — that people would think I didn’t own a small brush. Ha!
I found him to be honest and direct, and his feedback was spot on. He spoke to me on a peer-to-peer, professional level. Some artists trying to break in aren’t quite ready for that, and I think that’s where his tough reputation came from. I was — and still am — grateful for it.
I went home, worked up a pencil study, bought some very small brushes, and reworked the painting. The following year, I brought the new version back to San Diego and showed it to him. He asked if I’d shown it to him before — I should’ve brought the original. He didn’t remember the differences, but he liked the new version.
And then I accidentally spilled a can of Diet Coke on him.
Gallery
