X-O Manowar #7 Spotlight: Coloring

 

X-O Manowar #7 Pre-Order Cover by Chris Johnson & Allan Passalaqua

Ruth Redmond contributes her usual brilliant coloring to X-O Manowar #7, as can easily be seen by the preview pages. In this first image, I love how she's breathed life into this area of Manhattan. We see the skyscraper on the left, and how the sun and shade effect the glass. The building farther down the street is older, and likely made of stone, or covered in stucco. 

I'm intrigued by the white area surrounding the camera man on the bottom left. Is that caused by a reflective panel film crews use to shine more light on an area? Or is Ruth using white to show that the water in the fountain is really splashing in that area?

This next scene is scary, but gorgeous. Ruth Redmond has built so much texture into the ball of fire that burns above New York City. You can see how it has changed the color of the sky, which reflects off nearby buildings.

I'm not sure how much of the globules surrounding the brilliance are drawn in, versus how much Ruth has colored in. But that sky sure is impressive.

Inside Desmond's room, we can glimpse the transformed sky, but we also see how it has discolored much of the interior. I'm especially impressed by the coloring and shading of the comforter atop Desmond's bed.

Here we see X-O Manowar plunging into the interior of the nanite swarm. While it burns bright on the outside, at its center, in the area known as the Hive Mind, we see coiling green surrounded by darkness. The darkness reminds me of space, or the depths of the ocean, which brings recent covers by Rahzzah to mind. The various shades of green that make up the turbulent, writhing heart--or brain--of the nanite swarm bring to mind Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini's cover for this issue. 

Regardless of my associations, I find this a spooky image. Thanks to Ruth's work, it evokes awe and wonder.

 

Great job on coloring X-O Manowar #7, Ruth Redmond! Really excellent job!

Dragon Dave