Beneath The Pages puts the spotlight on people in the comic industry who are responsible for creating amazing stories and art. The artist featured today is Puerto Rican illustrator, Kenneth Rocafort, who’s known for his work on Superman, Red Hood And The Outlaws, Teen Titans and The Ultimates. Rocafort has had a varied career, and his experience makes him one of the best illustrators in the world.
Rocafort has worked in theatre, advertising, magazine, toy box art and animation, giving him a diverse style. His first comic gig was in 2006 with Top Cow, when he worked on the Hunter-Killer series and then moved on to Madame Mirage.
I came across his work in 2011, after reading Red Hood And The Outlaws. He had a vivid approach to drawing Red Hood that drew me in right away. The art was clean and pretty, making the characters appear elegant and strong. Even as something as simple as a concept drawing looks like it belongs on the page, as seen with this sketch of Jason Todd.
However, my favourite image from Rocafort is this spread of Todd as Robin curling up next to Batman on the couch. Within the context of the scene, Jason is too sick to fight crime and Bruce has chosen to take the night off so they can watch a film together. The range of expression is stunning, from Jason’s contented smile, to Bruce’s calm demeanour. The little details are also important, as Jason’s nose is shaded red to indicate he has a cold. Having Alfred in the background completes a portrait of a makeshift family who we don’t get to see have much relaxation time together.
Most recently, Rocafort has come up with designs for Valiant’s X-O-Manowar series, drawing several alien bounty hunters. The aliens have a sleek, creepy look that’s sure to stand out in the comic.
You can follow Rocafort on Twitter to see all of his latest sketches.
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