Client Danny Best returns to the Inkwell gallery with his third commission, this Steve Rude sketch or Thor. It’s my first time inking ‘The Dude’, but while it’s not my first non-Avengers Thor page, I’ll need my gallery chronicler Damon Owens to get me a count.

(UPDATE): Damon’s research shows that I’ve inked Thor nine times. This is my third solo Thor (after two by Isherwood and Jurgens). He was in a fourth piece as a floating head amongst others (Velluto). And he was in five Avengers commissions by Velluto (2), Perez, Salangsang and Luis.

The original file was 8.5X11 but I blew it up to 11X17 as a blueline on 2-ply Kubert board. I used mostly my Raphael Kolinsky 8404 size 3 brush due to the traditional, retro nature of the art, with some Pitt brush marker and very little other markers. This was like a quicky convention sketch, or breakdown pencils, so I embellished/finished/enhanced & elaborated the art and tried to channel Jack Kirby (or more like one of his inkers) and even turned the background shapes into Kirby Krackle. I finished this one on April 17, 2013.

http://steverude.com