Usagi Yojimbo #164 cover step by step

[Steve Hubbell]

I sent in the cover for Usagi Yojimbo 164 to Dark Horse. "Mouse Trap" (part 2 of 3) revolves around a murder of a merchant and a new power struggle in town that leads to the discovery of missing Shogunate silver ingots. It guest stars Inspector Ishida and Nezumi the thief.

Image area of 10x15.5 on 11x17 inch two-ply, 500 series, cold press Strathmore Bristol paper.



I start with very rough pencils, done with a 2H .3mm mechanical pencil. I am just dealing with shapes here and getting the composition established.



Pencils for the foreground characters are tightened with a .5mm B mechanical pencil.



The foreground character is inked using an older, broken in Koh-i-Noor ArtPen.



Mid-ground characters inked.



I penciled the perspectives for the background and inked it with a newer, less flexible ArtPen.



Pencils were erased with a Sakura SumoGrip eraser.



Blacks were then spotted in with a brush pen.



Details were added, and the drawing was done.

[Lobster Johnson]

The return of Nezumi! Interesting.

[Warren]

Brilliant as always.

The return of Nezumi! Interesting.

Yes!