THE SKETCHBOOK TRIBUNE: May Issue

MAY 2025

By Rayhan Bengougou

Cover art by Rayhan Bengougou

Welcome to this month's very first Sketchbook Tribune, the place where I share the latest, sketches, doodles and other bits and bobs as an work in progress artist.

Every month or so I share with you the most cherished art from the last couple months and go into detail on the steps taken in my designs and share my journey to become a more complete artist and enhance my craft. With that being said let's get into the selection of artwork in this month's issue of the Sketchbook Tribune.

GALLERY:

"The Curtain Call" - Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou

Illustration by Rayhan Bengougou

This piece probably is one of my favorites that I have done in the last couple months, even years. Using only my phone, I was able to mock-up a poster showcasing the theatrical nature of the World's Greatest Detective. 

Doing this on my phone was not the easiest thing at all. Each stroke of digital paint has to be applied meticulously and each level of inking, sketching and application of colour was, to put it mildly making me lose the plot. But I did it, and the final product was better than expected. 

The main inspiration for this drawing came from the many New Yorker covers, more specifically from the 1950's and 60's that leaned towards the thespian undertone of New York City and blend in the beauty of those old murder mystery movie posters from the 1930's and 40's which oozed bright and striking colours that would make anyone want to watch a whodunnit involving Batman. 

This would not be the first poster I have done, I have done many prior to this. But none of them had depth or real characteristics that typical pulp movie/comics/magazines would have. So, I tested out some different shapes and brushes that would make this drawing feel more real, more grandiose. 

For me, the thing that I wanted to stand out from this piece was that Batman couldn't be just a man. He had to be something commanding and Shakespearian. He needed to stand out as the main character on the stage and be that spirit of vengeance. 

To pull this off I chose to have a cape that was a living and breathing character, something that was inspired by the famous covers of Kelly Jones and Todd McFarlane, who they too made the cape into this lifeforce of darkness. The cape acts as the claws of the bat, grasping the underworld of evil in the shroud of his crusade, juxtaposed to the vibrancy of the curtains and nighttime backdrop. 

For me, this piece was not only trying to see what new techniques I can try and incorporate into my art style, it was to try to make my vision of what a character come to life and build the image I always thought of when I think of that specific character, Batman or not.  

The main lesson this illustration has taught me is that if I want a piece of art to stand out and to shine through, it has to be made with the ideas that you have and be made with passion and pride. If you incorporate that into your work, you tend to see your vision slowly come true, and with it comes a story that is being told in just one single panel. 

All illustrations by Rayhan Bengougou