So Hulk actually started out as a painting that I planned on doing for a videogame... Nuff said on that topic. I started out with a quick, loose sketch to get things going.

The original idea was to have a muscle bound "beast" throwing someone or something. I wanted to make the anatomy of the action a big part of the piece, and so dug up a bunch of muscle reference.

I also like to surround what I'm working on with inspirational pieces. I might choose them because of their pose, pallette, or composition- or just coz they inspire me to be better.

I built up my sketch layering and going over each page until I get the shapes and motion that I'm after.

I continue to tighten up the illo and add detail.

I then go in with an eraser or white pencil and bring out highlights and veins. Once I'm happy with the sketch I will usually start to paint over it. This illo got shelved before being rediscovered and repurposed.

I liked the sketch, and wanted to do a painting but hated the subject matter (or at least the lame videogame character). So I started to turn it into the Hulk.

I started the painting- throwing some colours onto the hulks body and background.

I knew that I wanted a red background to compliment The Hulks skin tone. I also felt that it implied rage.

The colours go in quick, following the shapes set down in the sketch. I add veins to help imply strength and force against muscle. I also start to "pop" out the shapes by reinforcing my lights and darks.

I wanted him to look pissed- borderline out of control & full of rage. I found a decent reference pic on the web; but pretty much moved on without it.

He was originally going to be throwing a person; but It just didn't make sense to me. So I started to play around with him holding a street sign that he's about to use as a weapon.

The jeans were a challenge. Not because they were dificult to paint. Because it's tough to paint tight ripped jeans on a man without it looking...... like gay porn. :)

At this stage I kept working at the jeans attempting to take the focus away from the Hulks crotch. I felt that the sign wasn't working for the pose and so moved on. Shame- I really liked the yellow.

I decided to give him a big boulder that he's about to throw. He needed to be holding something heavy, and I liked how it added to the composition.

For the final image I kept the background loose, and the focus on Hulk and his rock- and hopefully not on his crotch. :)