Welcome back to the Bob Almond Inkwell Gallery clients Steve and Jay Pillarella of Rubber Chicken Comics, my retailers, who haven’t asked me to ink a commission since July of 2009. They have treated me well over the years and every once in a blue moon they ask me to ink up a commission, this one being my 17th. This time the request was for ‘The Ghost Who Walks’, The Phantom, who I’ve now inked four times (twice for client Daniel Best and once for client Michael Rankins). The big shock for me was that after doing some research, it turns out that I hadn’t inked Paul Ryan since 2004, eleven years ago! This is my fourth job over him.
For this 11X14 image on 2-ply board Paul sketched in all the details needed for the Phantom but just hinted at the background elements. So for the tree and landscape I had to do ink finishes. I used mostly brush (Raphael Kolinsky #8404 size 2) on this piece but some Sigma graphic, microns and Pitt markers. Lastly for textures used some dry brush, razor blade scrapings and white finger smudges. I completed this work on June 15, 2015.
Paul Ryan: http://www.secondstargraphics.com