An obsessive collection of portraits from the Sandman comic series.
This is one of the cats that attended the gathering.
This cat appears in Sandman # 18, on page 5.
This is a great portrait from Mike. This cat reminds me of how cats were depicted in Halloween decorations from the 1950’s, which is something I really like. I like that he also drew the cat’s whiskers. Not many people do that and it’s not until I noticed them that I realized that they are often absent in drawings of cats.
Here is Cat # 12…
Today we feature a new portrait from Anna....
In Worlds’ End, Petrefax retells a story of his experience at an air burial.
According to the rituals of an air burial, each member of the funeral party tell a tale.
Master Hermas tells a true story from his youth when he and Klaproth were apprentices under Mistress Veltis.
When Veltis was an apprentice she accidentally broke a flask of preserving fluid. She was ashamed and ran and hid from her master. She chose the catacombs beneath the city as her hiding place. In the catacombs she travelled a path she had never taken before, passing a wall of mummies, and eventually finding herself in a huge room with six cerements hanging in that room.
This is one of the mummies that she passed on her decent into the catacombs.
This mummy appears in Sandman # 55, on page 20, in panel 3.
This is a pretty straightforward and awesome portrait from Anna. I really like the details of the bandages. I like that they are not necessarily uniform and the shading along the edges gives a realistic feel to the aging cloth. I also really like the blackness that Anna used for the background. It really accents the starkness of the character.
Stop by his booth and check out his fantastic sketchbooks, prints and original paintings. He also does commissions and it would be a great opportunity to get an original piece of art from Kai.
In 1968, people would come to his home seeking enlightenment. He would teach them about Kundalini, yoga, tantric sex, astral travel, and other things that were, honestly, insignificant.
While at his home, he forbids the use of psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs, fearing that they may somehow empower the imprisoned Dream King.
This woman is one of the people who visited the Burgess house hoping to find illumination.
She appears in Sandman # 1, on page 23, in panel 1 and 2.
I really like this portrait from Kai. He managed to draw this character in such a way that gives her the impression that she is from the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Here is Woman # 36…
Scroyle came to the Necropolis on a Death Barge, carrying many corpses of the recently deceased. This corpse is one of those bodies.
You can see this corpse in Sandman # 55, on page 13, panel 1.
This is a beautiful portrait from Max. I love the stillness of the character and the emotions surrounding the portrait. The blacks and blues used create a coolness that works really well with both the corpse as well as the overall sense of death.
As they are about to enter her building, Didi sees Mrs. Robbins selling fruit in her shop on the street. Didi asks for a couple of apples and is given them for free.
This man is walking on the street behind Mrs. Robbins fruit stand.
He can be seen in Death: The High Cost Of Living # 1, on page 18, in panel 4.
In the published comic, this character is in the background and is not really well defined. Anna brings this character to the forefront and gives him a personality with this portrait. I love the unique shape of his face. The best part is that he seems to fit in perfectly with the other characters that Didi and Sexton pass as they walk along the streets of New York throughout the rest of this series.
As expected, when Nicolo Polo stands before the great Khan, there are palace guards at his side. This man is one of the palace guards.
He appears in Sandman # 39, on page 12, in panel 2.
This is an amazing portrait from Lars. I love everything about this portrait from the blues used for the curtains to the positioning of the character in the portrait and the design of the guard. This is just such a wonderful portrait for a character that is simply standing in the background.
One of these people is a writer who is chronicling the adventures of Nicholas Sky-boy and his rebel forces. If he does not continue to write about these boys he believes they will be lost in Hell forever, being tortured by demons.
One of these adventures entails Nicholas and the Sky-Boys leading an attack on Lord Kiss-&-Shah of Hell and the Party Girls.
This is one of the Party Girls.
She appears in Endless Nights, in “Going Inside” on page 8 in panel 2.
Anna’s portraits are generally very happy and optimistic, which is something I very much appreciate. This character, on the flip side, is a bit frightening. The line work and colors Anna used are very pleasant and welcoming, but the expression of this Party Girl is a vast contrast to the warmth and makes the character appear significantly more ominous than it would have otherwise. I really like this portrait.
There are several Sandman Portraits artists in attendance and so if you are at the show, please stop buy and buy their books and art.
The artists at the show are:
Jeremy Haun (booth D7)
Ibrahim Moustafa (booth Z2)
Ron Chan (booth 911)
Lukas Ketner (booth A3)
Kai Martin (booth N11)
Also, Sandman artists Michael Allred (booth Q17) and Matt Wagner (Y6) are there.
Stop by and say hello and tell them that you are enjoying the work they are doing on the Sandman Portraits blog!
He is the ruler of the planet Apokolips and is one of the most power beings in the universe. He has tried many times to conquer the universe, but ultimately has been defeated by various super heroes and super hero teams.
His first appearance was Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen # 134.
He appears only one in the Sandman universe. He is in attendance at the wake for Morpheus. He is sitting next to Jed and Rose Walker.
Darkseid appears in Sandman # 72, on page 7, in panel 4.
This is another wonderful portrait from Max. I really like how he managed to create the ominous personality of the character and retain his authority. I also like that the background and the silver spots really stand out.
The identity of these women is unknown. Some of the citizens of Alain’s court suspected they might be noblewomen, while others whispered that they were courtesans. A third speculation is that they were nuns from the convent of San Michele Di Murano who arrived in defiance of their vows.
This woman is one of the masquerading women who arrived for Alain’s masked ball.
She appears in Endless Nights, in “Death In Venice” on page 12, in panel 7. >P> Anna did a lovely job with this portrait. The vibrant colors she used adds to the festive atmosphere of the character and the party. The purples and blues really complement each other. I really like the use of feathers in the background.
Here is Masquerading Woman # 7…
These dead souls, free from the confines of Hell, return to places familiar to them. Some of them returned to where they died, others went to visit their living relatives, and some simply wander.
This Ghost Boy returned to St. Hilarion’s School For Boys where he lived for a crucial and influential part of his life.
He is lying on the bed that once belonged to him in the dormitory.
The Ghost Boy appears in Sandman # 25, page 7, panel 6.
This is a wonderful portrait from Mike. I really like that he used blues to contrast the whiteness in order to capture the insubstantial quality of this ghost boy. I also really like that he gave his boy a hat that is not commonly worn by boys these days. It adds a historical perspective to this character.
This character is one of the many citizens of Barbie’s world.
He appears in Sandman # 36, page 34, panel 2.
This is one of the many characters that are seen as barely more than shapes entering Dream’s cloak. Due to the lack of details, Max was able to envision what this character may have looked like based on the shape of the character’s body. I like Max’s approach to this character. A lot of the characters we see are a bit comical and toy-like, particularly when Barbie is marched through town on the way to see the Cuckoo. Max’s interpretation fits in perfectly with the other characters we have seen within Barbie’s world.
Carla ordered Chocolate-Chocolate Chip for herself, “Pink Yogurt Shit” for Lyta and Vanilla ice cream for Daniel. This ice cream seller took her order.
She appears in Sandman # 57, on page 6, in panel 6.
This character appears in one panel in the first chapter of The Kindly Ones. She is barely a noticeable character, but Anna brought her to life with this fantastic portrait. I like that the character seems cheery and ready to help customers.
This Faery appears in Sandman # 19, on page 9, in panel 6.
This is a wonderful portrait from Nicole. I love his mischievous expression and the way that she used color to define the Faery’s muscles and body. I like the backgrounds and that he is sitting in a tree. He seems like he is right at home with nature.
This man is one of the archeologists working on San Raphael.
He appears in the Destruction story in Endless Nights on page 5 and in panel 4.
This is a lovely portrait from Max. I like the brown paper used for the background. This really gives the character a more earthy feel, which is appropriate given this man’s profession. Max drew this character as a man older than I was expecting from the published comic, but it’s, realistically, probably a more accurate interpretation of the character than what I was imaginging.
Here is Archeologist # 2…
In Sandman # 38, we learn that Marco Polo is lost in the desert on one of their trips to Asia. At the end of the story, Niccolò and Maffeo find Marco in the sand, still alive.
While he makes only a brief appearance in Sandman, Niccolò Polo was very influential in helping form trade routes.
Niccolò appears a few times briefly in Soft Places, most notably on page 24, when he finds his son. >P> Mike did an awesome job with this character, especially given that this character is not the focus of this story. I like that he brought significantly more detail to the character than his appearance in the published comic.
The marketplace is crowded and many people pass them without regard, because who would expect this lowly beggar to be the Emperor of Rome.
This citizen is spending the afternoon in the Roman market near the steps where Caesar and Lycius are sitting.
She appears in Sandman # 30, page 13, and is panel 4.
I love this portrait from Kai. This portrait is a contrast to what many people have drawn when they think of Roman Citizens. I really like the coloring of her skin and the folds of the clothes she is wearing. The details and line work are perfect. I also really enjoy her hair. I think that Kai’s approach to this character is completely unique and stands apart from a lot of the Roman Citizens from this issue.
This man is the bus driver for the Kensington Ch\Aldwych line.
The bus driver appears in Sandman # 1, on page 14, in panel 1.
In the published comic, we barely get a glimpse of the bus driver. He can be seen wearing a gray pinstriped suit, driving the bus. He is one of the many background characters that create a living world within the Sandman universe. Anna did a wonderful job with this portrait. This bus driver seems tired and worn out, similar to how bus drivers appear these days…at least here….maybe they are friendlier in other cities. I love the contrast between the bus driver’s gray suit and the red seat. Little things like that really accent the character and brings him to center stage in the portrait.
This man is one of the many feeling despair in their hearts.
He appears in the Brief Lives storyline, in Sandman # 41 on page 20, in panel 3.
Max did an awesome job with this portrait. It’s not a standard perspective and I like the uniqueness. The line work for this character is perfect and I like the shape of his hands and that they are partially obscuring his face.
Here is Despairing Man # 1…
His harem was no exception.
In al Raschid’s harem, there were women from every country and of every skin color. Each of these women were adept in the art of pleasure.
This concubine is one of the women in Haroun al Raschid’s harem.
She appears in Sandman # 50, on page 3, in panel 1.
Lars’ approach to this character is pretty straight forward. She is sitting in the harem waiting to be chosen for a night with the caliph. I like that she is winking and offering a kiss to those looking in on her.
When Delirium breaks down, Desire comes to her aid. This man is standing in the background as Desire enters the club.
He appears in Sandman # 41 on page 11 in panel 5.
Max took a visually interesting approach to this character. In the published comic, for a long time, I thought this man was actually a woman because he was so feminine, and, admittedly, because he had long hair. It wasn’t until I noticed that he had chest hair that I realized he was a man. Max, however, made this character very male. There is no mistaking his gender in this portrait. He reminds me of someone you might see at a heavy metal concert. I really like the addition of the chains in the background and I really like how Max drew the links. My eye is drawn to them naturally.
Here is Bondage Boy # 9…
Before going to Hell, Dream feels obligated to visit Hob, in the event that he does not return.
He travels through the dreams of people in order to find a perfect bottle of wine to take to his friend for their meeting.
This man is one of the dreamers who Morpheus passed through on his search for the wine.
He appears in Sandman # 22, on page 15, in panel 2.
Nicole took a very interesting approach to this Dreamer. She took the character from the published comic and interpreted what he was like while he was awake and instead of portraying him asleep, he is awake. I really like that her interpretation of this character makes sense. I had never thought about these dreamers outside of their dreams.
