How to Draw the Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer started as the herald for the evil and monstrous Galactus. However, he soon rose to power as a unique hero in his own right. He travels through space flying on his board and fighting evil throughout the galaxy. Drawing the Silver Surfer is a great first step for aspiring comic book illustrators, as the Silver Surfer is essential a study in muscle anatomy. He lacks the complicated costume of many superheroes, so you can learn a great deal about drawing heroic figures in action without any added frustration.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Black ink pen
• Kneaded eraser
• Art Markers

Instructions

1. 

   Draw the basic frame for the body of the Silver Surfer. Draw the head with an oval and place guidelines inside the head for the eyes, nose and mouth. Do this by drawing a cross over the face. Draw the torso behind the head with a rectangular shape. Attache the upper arms to the left and right sides of the shoulders with cylinder shapes. Attach the lower arms to the upper with slightly smaller cylinders. Create the impression of one leg pushing forward with a large cylinder coming out and down from the left side of the torso. Add the board with a large circular shape around the figure.

2. 

   Create the muscles on the frame of the Silver Surfer. Do this by drawing oval shapes over the major muscle areas. Place a large oval on the shoulders that slightly overlaps to the top of the arm. Create the biceps by attaching a smaller oval to the outer side of the shoulder muscle. This shape should be on the bottom half of the upper arm cylinder. Attach the tricep muscle with a smaller and slightly longer oval on the upper side of the upper arm cylinder. Create the forearm muscles with an oval shape that is wider, closer to the upper arm and thins out toward the wrist.

3. Create the pectoral muscles with two almost square-shaped ovals that are attached to the front of the chest. These shapes should pull slightly towards the shoulder muscles, as these muscles are connected together. Draw the leg muscles with two large and long ovals that stretch down over the leg cylinder. Add a knee with a circular shape in the front and center of the leg cylinder.

4. Draw the eyes with two ovals that have a slightly triangular shape to give the Silver Surfer an intense look. Place the eyes on the horizontal guideline of the face. Add the nose with a wide "V" shape below the eyes, and create the mouth with a slightly curved horizontal line just below the nose. Erase any overlapping guidelines, and add shadows by coloring in thick lines on the pecs and at the top of the leg. Add a small curved line of shadow at the base of each muscle. Add three long upside down "T" shapes to the surf board to show the reflection of light off the board.

5. 

   Ink the entire drawing with a black ink pen. This will create a permanent image of the Silver Surfer, and will show up better on reproductions. Let the ink dry for at least five minutes, then carefully erase the pencil lines underneath with a kneaded eraser.

6. 

   Color the Silver Surfer using art markers. Add light gray starting at the shadows and carefully working outward. Be sure to leave plenty of white space. Add light blue highlights inside the some of the gray areas to give the Silver Surfer a reflective and metallic appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a few reference pictures of the Silver surfer in different poses so that you can check your anatomy regardless of what pose you are drawing the Silver Surfer in.

• Be sure to let the ink dry before erasing the pencil marks.

References

• How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way; Stan Lee and John Buscema; 1984
• Anatomy for Artists; Fritz Schider; 1947