Power and Death

the idea behind this one was having Power Girl lying damaged after a long battle. She was to look as though she were on the brink of her last breath, with Neil Gaiman’s Death embracing her. the idea was entirely the client’s, but when working out the poses and layout, i figured the best way to execute it would be through a recreation of Michelangelo’s “Pieta.” This, in conjunction with the quote, and the busy background, made the image look like something that could be found in a church, on a stained glass window. for that reason, the lettering was made to frame the scene, the letters were done in Sharpie, so they’d look more bold and legible, but i didn’t use solid blacks in the background. as heavily detailed as the background is, it’s shaded with pen and watercolor, rather than marker, so that the letters and Death herself are the only solid subjects. Power Girl, of course, is the only thing in color. it works, i think, because she’s a very colorful character herself, but also because it helps illustrate the lifelessness and destruction in the environment. For PowerGirl’s costume, the client allowed me to stray from the popular one (which i deeply hate) and use something that could be sexy without being ridiculous. i essentially have her in a Playboy Club uniform with boots and a jacket, which you could argue is still impractical, but it doesn’t feel as dumb as drawing a boob window. 

Ultimately, i’m very proud of this piece. i’m not very good at lettering, or at drawing multiple characters, but i feel like i was finally able to pull it off. i don’t know if i’ve ever worked this long on something, and i thank the client for being patient throughout. i’ll be writing a separate blog post chronicling the long process of this piece, so say tuned! for more info on the making of this piece, click here