Sunday, April 4, 2010

Canary with a Piercing Cry

Black Canary, 2010, graphite and ink with digital color.

Above is my submission to the “Canary on the Catwalk” challenge over at Project Rooftop. This was a tough one for me! How to dress a Black Canary?

Personal guidelines, to make things interesting:

  • Easy to draw
  • Works against dark backdrop
  • Little exposed skin
  • No fishnet stockings

The naked silhouette is plenty of tease, especially when encased in black (ask Batwoman, Catwoman, Black Widow, and Black Cat if you don’t believe me). The yellow corset shape is similarly suggestive.

An element of Dinah’s costume only at the very beginning, the mask adds to the mix of allure and intimidation I associate with the character. It also serves as a stronger link to the “mystery man” tradition to which Dinah belongs.

I went back and forth on the eyes—pupils or no pupils? I decided the lack of pupils presented more emotional distance than I wanted. The pupils show there’s someone there, just behind the mask. I made an alternate version with no pupils, if you care to compare.

Black Canary created by Kanigher and Infantino. Black Canary, the distinctive likenesses thereof, and related elements are trademarks of DC Comics.

1 comment:

  1. Your right the pic without pupils does make her look cold. Cold and hardened, as if to say there isn't any compassion left in her.

    ReplyDelete