Tim Sale on Drawing Batman
(from Wizard's Basic Training in Wizard 2000)
I couldn't have been more happy when the folks at Wizard asked me to do a "Basic Training" on how to draw the Dark Knight Detective. My favorite aspect of drawing comics is evoking a mood on the page, and Batman's costume conveys a mood better than any other. You can tell at a glance what Batman is about: dark, angry, brooding, and frightening. Those emotions leave a lot of latitude, and many artists have drawn Batman in many different styles over the years. I'm going to show you how I draw Batman. Let's start at the top...
Head Games
I draw the head in four steps. First, start with an oval and divide it in half horizontally--that's where the eyes go (fig. A). A blocky and long face makes him look stoic and strong. Next I draw the facial features. Batman's face has a strong jaw, pronounced cheekbones, a pointy nose, and a slash for a mouth--he wears a perpetual scowl (fig. B). Third, I add the shadows to his face. His mask is shiny and he always looks like there's a light behind him, so the forehead and cheeks are in shadow (fig. C). Finally, add the neck and ears. His neck starts up high, almost to his eyes (fig. D). Look how much more powerful adding the neck makes him look! And notice how high the neck starts in the profile shot (fig. E).
As for the ears... these two pics show what a difference they can make. The short-eared Batman (fig. F) looks more like a cuddly pussy cat than a creature of the night. The other one (fig. G), with its spiked ears, seems more threatening.
Standing Firm
Batman is from the school of superheroes that are proportioned like regular guys, only more so (Captain America, Green Lantern), as opposed to extra-big behemoths (Hulk, Superman). I picture him as about 6-foot-4 with an incredible physique. He stands defiantly, and that should show right away. He should be a strong presence while standing still. His arms are held away from his body and back a little bit, so you can see the muscles from the sides. Even though he may just be standing there, it looks like he is about to throw a punch. His feet are spread shoulder-width apart. A lot of it is the size of the shoulders and how he holds them. Now here's how I break up the pieces.
On Target
I like to draw the "year One" emblem--simplay a big, black, stylized bat (fig H). I don't see why somebody who hides in shadows would have a yellow target on his chest. There are five pointa along the bottom of the bat and four on top--two for the head. And if you want to draw the modern Bat symbol, just put a yellow oval around it (fig I).
Utilize This
I draw the utility belt with pouches (fig J), not cylinders (fig K). Pouches are more practical--it seems those little cylinders would limit what he could carry. Viewed from the front, there are six pouches, three on each side. Inside, he has a batarang with a line attached to it that he throws and small, bat-shaped darts he uses to disable opponents. I don't like it when Batman uses too many Bat-gadgets beyond that.
Man In Black
Batman's boots, gloves, cowl and trunks are black and reflective, unlike the rest of his costume. The boots have rubber soles and don't make noise when he walks. Draw the boots coming to a point in the front of the leg that almost reaches the bottom of the kneecap. I generally draw a reflection down from that point, a little squiggly line. As for the gloves, they come equipped with spikes on the outer edge (fig L)--functionless but cool! I like to show the seams on the sides to make them look more like gloves. The three spikes that come out of the side of his forearm come out right from the seams. I also draw seams from the fingers. The back of his boots and his gloves disappears into the black of his cape or the night; it makes him look spookier.
Blowin' In The Wind
By far the coolest thing about Batman's costume is his cape. It's the part of the costume you can play around with the most and put your own stamp on. The cape starts at a center point on his chest, right below the collarbone. From there it's thrown back or followng the motion of his body. Generally, when he's just standing quietly, the cape hangs at ankle length (fig M). But the fun part is when you exaggerate it. For instance, leaping, it can be stretched for dramatic fluttery effect (fig N). On a rooftop, he can wrap himself in it and let the wind whip it around (fig O). I tend not to show speed lines, but the cape is a great way to show Batman in motion.
Cape Fear
Every artist has used the cape to different expressive effect: two artists' renditions I love are Neal Adams' (fig P) and David Mazzucchelli's (fig Q). My cape is actually somewhere in between--I love the Adams look, but it's more regal, more uniform than I see the character. And the Mazzucchelli look is too down to earth for me. My version is muh more "torn" than most others, with many little odd-sized tatters on the end. I like to think of his cape as a living thing that changes to reflect the mood of the story.
Sharp-Dressed Man
Bruce Wayne is always a snappy dresser. He wears loose-fitting, 1940s-style dark suits, with long, draping lines and broad shoulders. I look at a lot of old movies and watch stars like Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, and Kirk Douglas; they're my models for both the clothes and the sense of power and style. Make sure you give him that superhero squint! It makes him look determined. Big, open eyes, like manga eyes, look more vulnerable. Remember, though, he's uncomfortable as plain-old Bruce and more comfortable as Batman. I think he's really Batman just pretending to be Bruce Wayne, so I tend to have him in costume as much as possible.
That ought to be plenty to get you started, but it's only the beginning. There's one other element to drawing Batman that's as important as any other--Gotham City itself. And that's a whole 'nother column. In the meantime, check out books like New York in the Forties, by Andreas Feininger. It's full of black-and white photos that'll inspire you to darw some real dank and dirty dark alleys. Good luck!
I couldn't have been more happy when the folks at Wizard asked me to do a "Basic Training" on how to draw the Dark Knight Detective. My favorite aspect of drawing comics is evoking a mood on the page, and Batman's costume conveys a mood better than any other. You can tell at a glance what Batman is about: dark, angry, brooding, and frightening. Those emotions leave a lot of latitude, and many artists have drawn Batman in many different styles over the years. I'm going to show you how I draw Batman. Let's start at the top...
I draw the head in four steps. First, start with an oval and divide it in half horizontally--that's where the eyes go (fig. A). A blocky and long face makes him look stoic and strong. Next I draw the facial features. Batman's face has a strong jaw, pronounced cheekbones, a pointy nose, and a slash for a mouth--he wears a perpetual scowl (fig. B). Third, I add the shadows to his face. His mask is shiny and he always looks like there's a light behind him, so the forehead and cheeks are in shadow (fig. C). Finally, add the neck and ears. His neck starts up high, almost to his eyes (fig. D). Look how much more powerful adding the neck makes him look! And notice how high the neck starts in the profile shot (fig. E). 
As for the ears... these two pics show what a difference they can make. The short-eared Batman (fig. F) looks more like a cuddly pussy cat than a creature of the night. The other one (fig. G), with its spiked ears, seems more threatening. 
I like to draw the "year One" emblem--simplay a big, black, stylized bat (fig H). I don't see why somebody who hides in shadows would have a yellow target on his chest. There are five pointa along the bottom of the bat and four on top--two for the head. And if you want to draw the modern Bat symbol, just put a yellow oval around it (fig I).
I draw the utility belt with pouches (fig J), not cylinders (fig K). Pouches are more practical--it seems those little cylinders would limit what he could carry. Viewed from the front, there are six pouches, three on each side. Inside, he has a batarang with a line attached to it that he throws and small, bat-shaped darts he uses to disable opponents. I don't like it when Batman uses too many Bat-gadgets beyond that.
