It's a Retro Summer
It’s a Retro Summer
Color updates! New art featuring Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, and ELO!
By Brian Cunningham
It’s been a busy summer here at Studio K7!
The Prince and Madonna pieces have been masterfully colored by my coconspirators and collaborators, the amazingly talented and super-fun folks of Hi-Fi Colour and Design, Brian and Kristy Miller. Brian handles the color, Kristy runs the business. Brian’s work transforms my work into something I could have barely imagined. (In fact, if you need something colored, you should consider hiring them!)
I first worked with Brian and Kristy in 2009 when I was a DC Comics editor. Artwork for an issue of TITANS was running extraordinarily late (it happens), and I needed to bring in a second colorist to color the pages by the impending deadline. Another editor pointed me towards Hi-Fi, and they turned around six pages colored overnight, saving my butt with panache. Ever since, I have tried to create opportunities to work with them.
And these newly colored pieces are now up on the Studio K7 Etsy site if you or someone you know might like art of this type enough to want to wear it or drink coffee from a mug with it. The hard-working denizens of Studio K7 appreciate your support!
New Art!
Next up are three new “evolution” pieces:
Olivia Newton-John, Jeff Lynne/ELO, and John Travolta, all of which were a ton of fun to draw. ELO is my favorite band, and it was a labor of pure love. (Paula joked that Jeff Lynne really only has “one look.” Maybe so, though I think I managed okay!)
I’m drawing a lot more now than I have in a very, very long time, and it feels good to flex that dormant mental muscle! I can see the improvements little by little. Embracing the iPad to draw digitally has been a godsend. This little tablet has allowed me to do the gazillion corrections I need to do to get it to “okay.” Using traditional tools would amount to a lot of caked-on white-out, and my OCD couldn’t handle that!
Can’t wait for Hi-Fi to work their own “Xanadu”-style “magic” on these.
Trying to figure out what to draw next…
Until then, I give you all a Studio K7 salute!
