Introduction: Are you an aspiring artist trying to emulate the classic drawings of John Romita Sr.? Don’t be discouraged – with some creativity and practice, even you can draw like John Romita Sr.! People usually think that drawing is too challenging or that they can’t draw at all. But let’s face it, you already have an eye for a good picture. You just need to develop the technique to get there, and soon enough you’ll be producing artwork that others ooh and aah over.
Section 1: Start by getting into the frame of mind of what kind of artwork you want to create. Romita Sr. did a lot of comic book illustration so he had a certain style. Look at classic comic book artwork to get a feel for his particular style, taking in the proportions and the way he used light and dark elements. Don’t be intimidated by what he achieved – be inspired by it!
Once you’ve established the kind of artwork you want to create, practice the basics. Start with the simplest of shapes, such as circles and rectangles. When you’re more comfortable, try more complicated shapes, like triangles. Exercise your creative muscles every day and use different mediums such as pen and ink, pencil, or paint. Don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts are not how you imagined. With enough time and practice, you’ll start to get better!
Section 2: Keep in mind that Romita Sr. had a classic comic-book shape style which was instantly recognizable. To juggle this style when drawing, first break down an image into the basic shapes. Then focus on the skeletal structure and block in with the larger elements. Romita Sr. usually used a 3D cylinder style for figure anatomy which created an illusion of depth in his drawings. This is something you should also practice, as it gives a sense of structure to your images.
Once you have the basic structure, don’t forget to add details. Romita Sr. was known for his highly detailed linework. Add in the extra-fine lines, crosshatching, and shading to give a sense of realism to your work. To make your work look even more like his, use the same symbols, such as spiral eyes and a row of chiseled teeth. This adds a unique flare that’s associated with the Romita name.
Section 3: Don’t forget about perspective. Adding in the correct perspective will make your artwork look much more realistic. Get comfortable with using one, two, and three-point perspective as this was something Romita Sr. was very good at. Add in a background and use depth of field to give more dimensionality to your artwork. Look at Romita Sr.’s images for reference on how he produced artwork that had a superb sense of depth.
Once you’ve done this, the finishing touches are next. Use the same medium such as pencil or pen and ink that he did to give a more authentic look. It’s also a good idea to experiment with texture, such as a scratchy or gummed look, to give an aged and unique look to your work. This is also often associated with Romita style artwork.
Section 4: The last thing to practice is composition. This is key in all art, especially comic book artwork. Experiment with different viewpoints and see what works best. Place your character in a pose that draws attention and then use the elements of the environment to create energy and life in the images.
Romita Sr. was masterful at this. Look at the way he placed his characters in a scene and composed the images with depth, movement and cleverly placed objects. All of this takes time and practice to perfect, but by following the same steps, you too can draw like John Romita Sr.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep at it! Nothing good comes easy and drawing like John Romita Sr. is no exception. When you start out, you may find that your sketches look nothing like his. Don’t be discouraged – with a bit of practice and some creative thinking, you’ll soon be producing artwork that is just as impressive!
