Lee Carter is an illustrator working primarily as a comic book artist but additionally has labored on quite a few video video games, in addition to films, toy design and personal painted commissions. Right here he exhibits us his house studio setup, replete with significant objects and one furry pal.”I labored for 13 years with video games developer Weird Creations in a studio with over 200 folks, however now I’m going into my 14th yr of working from house as a freelancer. For 13 of these years, my canine has been a continuing companion and is at present hogging my chair as I attempt to perch on the sting. She has a mattress, however it’s chilly and she or he would not know the way comfy I’m.”It’s a pleasure to not commute, and never having an alarm ring within the morning makes for a a lot simpler begin to my work day. After a canine stroll I change on my historical 21-inch Wacom Cintiq and hope the Home windows drivers nonetheless boot up.
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“Working each historically and digitally doubles my workspace wants, partly as a result of dimension of the Millennium Falcon I bought for my fiftieth birthday, which meant I needed to transfer my drafting desk to a different room. This was additionally because of my spending a very long time working digitally on the Jupiter’s Legacy comedian, so I didn’t have a lot time to get the paints out.”For skilled jobs that can be printed, I like to stay to digital artwork utilizing Photoshop, Maya and a little bit of ZBrush, so every little thing I want is on the market on my pc. The ageing Cintiq has served me properly with over 15 years of each day use and has outlived many computer systems in that point.”Once in a while I tackle personal commissions, which I work on utilizing watercolour and gouache. To verify my work don’t warp, I’ve to undergo the method of stretching the watercolour paper on a wood board, so I have a tendency to wish a bit extra space than my desk gives.”I simply must eliminate the printer and scanner that hogs the vast majority of the desk house. Scans are garbage and the ink prices a fortune. What house I do have, I wish to replenish with a number of bits of pleasure and inspiration. Figures from 2000 AD, Marvel, DC, Star Wars and extra fill my cabinets. I’ve additionally executed a little bit of toy design for Hasbro’s Marvel line, so it’s a part of my work, trustworthy!Each day design information, critiques, how-tos and extra, as picked by the editors.”My favorite comics, artbooks and plenty of artwork supplies are all shut by. Plus, my 60GB unique iPod continues to be going sturdy, though I ought to replace my playlist. Underneath the desk is a spot of darkness, I don’t go there. It’s a spot for stuff that’s not wanted however wants sorting, particularly the seven massive containers of comics that I sorted out for promoting, however are nonetheless down there a few years later.”Clearly, the canine has a big mattress to the precise of me, however she usually finds a strategy to soar up and hammock herself into my jumper, making work a bit more durable, however extra cosy. “Artist in residence: Lee Carter(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)Lee’s studio setup, clockwise from high left. ’’Rising up within the 80s was incredible for figures, cartoons and plenty of business tie-ins with TV and merchandise. I beloved every little thing from The A-Group to He-Man, and whereas the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was nice the toy line wasn’t fairly the identical. As a child I had no thought the toys have been truly based mostly on the RPG slightly than the cartoon collection!’’’I’m fortunate to have acquired handmade items from my son and daughter. The work are by my son, who’s at present finding out illustration at college.’’The hinged lamp has a daylight bulb that helps after I paint. One other use for the lamp is lighting reference, because it offers sturdy shadows.”The canine is guarding my artwork provides: inks, watercolour paints, gouache, acrylic paints, markers, colored pencils, French curves, rulers and plenty of paper. Her mattress is there so she will be able to do two issues directly… or simply sleep.”Attempting out some acrylics on a Choose Dredd portray, after I’d usually use watercolour and gouache. I’m not offered but, however subsequent time I’ll use a pleasant paper slightly than a canvas.”My first lightbox was about 8cm thick, however my new one is controllable and far brighter whereas solely 1cm thick, which makes it a lot extra comfy to make use of. A lot better than having to make use of the daylight with paper taped to the window.”Round 2022 I did a Kickstarter to assist create a 100-page artbook referred to as 337, accumulating random sketches and different bits. It was efficiently backed, so I just lately determined to do a second Kickstarter for 337-2, one other e book accumulating extra bits of my artwork.”Working as an artwork droid was my lifelong objective as a child, and I’ve been proudly showing within the pages of 2000 AD and Choose Dredd Megazine for round 18 years. However I’ve solely just lately executed my first 2000 AD cowl. Every week’s cowl is now available for purchase as a print, so my different half kindly framed my complimentary print of the Rogue Trooper cowl I did. What’s good is that I could possibly entice her to see the movie when it hopefully comes out this yr.”Once in a while I like to make use of a rubber-skinned model, which is nice for lighting reference. It has a poseable metal-framed skeleton. I’ve a number of totally different physique shapes, however nonetheless haven’t purchased heads for any of them but.”(Picture credit score: ©2000 AD, 2025 Revolt)”I discovered an previous inked drawing of Choose Dredd from some time in the past and determined to color it up digitally for a pin-up or cowl.”(Picture credit score: ©2000 AD, 2025 Revolt)”My first 2000 AD cowl. It options Rogue Trooper; Dave Gibbons’ basic blue-skinned, bio-engineered clone.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”On the desk with my previous Wacom Cintiq. It’s beginning to do odd issues because it’s previous, and I dread each Home windows replace as its now not supported.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”A portray of Choose Loss of life, which I did with a Choose Dredd piece. Guillermo del Toro messaged me about shopping for the pair, however I’d already offered them!”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”My son is at present at college finding out illustration. Whereas he was in his first yr at artwork school, he bought to check out totally different mediums. I significantly beloved the ceramic tiles he made based mostly on Mike Mignola’s drawings.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)‘‘Retaining my work space filled with litter truly helps get my focus again to the display. When my thoughts wanders and my head turns it will get caught in a visible overload, then shortly returns to the monitor.’’(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”I bought the honour of drawing the Choose Dredd strip in one of many 2000 AD Christmas specials and needed to do a extremely good job, so I made a 3D mannequin of Ben Willsher’s Lawmaster design for reference.’’(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”The mug was an superior reward from Weird Creations colleague Mike Waterworth after our work on online game The Membership. Subsequent to it is a porg that my daughter crocheted for my birthday.’’(Picture credit score: ©Netflix Leisure LLC. All rights reserved)”I’m an enormous fan of Mark Millar’s comedian work, and it was an actual honour to attract the final problems with Jupiter’s Legacy: Finale.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”The canine guards a work-in-progress piece for Absolute Batman. I’ve used gum strip and stretched the paper so it stays flat as I chuck watercolour paint at it.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”I did have a pleasant drawing desk to the precise of my pc setup. Sadly I wanted someplace for my Millennium Falcon to dock.”(Picture credit score: Lee Carter)”I’ve at all times beloved horror films, however solely ever the fantasy facet. Werewolves, vampires and zombies are nice, however slasher films and serial killers are too actual for my liking. I do like my improvised pen holder although!”This content material initially appeared in ImagineFX journal, the world’s main digital artwork and fantasy artwork journal. 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