Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with this “declan shalvey signature” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a bit of a ride. I saw some stuff online about this Declan Shalvey guy, who’s apparently a big deal in the comic book world. Seems like he’s done a bunch of work for Marvel, especially on something called “Moon Knight” which I guess is getting a TV show or something.
So, I started by just looking at his art. You know, just Googling around and seeing what popped up. And yeah, the dude’s got a style, I’ll give him that. It’s all very, like, dramatic and, uh, “kinetic” is a word I saw used a lot. He seems to like drawing superheroes and action scenes. He also has a book called “Old Dog”, which sounds cool. Lots of bold lines, heavy shadows, that sort of thing. I wasn’t trying to copy him exactly, but more like, get a feel for what makes his stuff tick.
First, I tried sketching some figures using strong poses, trying to make them look like they were about to leap off the page. I messed around with dynamic angles, you know, looking up at the character from below, or down from above. I started with some rough outlines. It was a total mess at first, honestly. I grabbed a pencil and some paper and tried sketching some comic book-style art. Lots of erasing, lots of crumpled-up paper balls in the trash. But hey, that’s part of the process, right?
- Experimenting with Bold Lines: I grabbed a thicker pen and tried drawing some really strong, dark lines, like the ones I saw in Shalvey’s work. It definitely makes the drawings pop, that’s for sure.
- Playing with Shadows: This was the tricky part. I tried using lots of heavy black areas to create shadows and depth. Some of it worked, some of it looked like a big blob of ink. I tried different techniques. I used the edge of my pencil to create softer shading in some areas and a darker, more intense shading in others. Still figuring that one out.
- Adding Some Color: I didn’t go too crazy with color, but I added a few splashes here and there. Just simple, bold colors to make certain parts stand out.
The Results
It’s a work in progress, no doubt. It’s not gonna win any awards, but I can see the influence, you know? It’s like, you can tell I was going for that Declan Shalvey vibe, even if I didn’t quite nail it. I learned a lot about how he uses lines and shadows to create mood and movement. It’s definitely given me a new appreciation for comic book art, I’ll say that much. It’s not easy to make something look so dynamic and cool. I’ll keep practicing, maybe try some different poses, different characters. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll have my own signature style. But for now, I’m just having fun experimenting and seeing where it takes me. And it was really fun, trying to understand how this guy draws like that. Also, I tried to study the “mood” and “tone” things by reading more about his “Moon Knight” comics. I’m going to keep practicing for sure!