I start trying to get the flow of the composition, this starts very rough and refines over time- probably a few hours on this stage until I get a gernal idea of the shapes and I'm figuring out what they will be as I go. I start with the idea 'I want OINK falling backward punching some big dude' and then I go from there.

I often try to render something out early on to get a feel for the attitude, honestly I probably should have stayed in black and white value longer, that's more my work flow these days. I stay b/w and then once I get a clear b/w sketch I'm fairly confident in I'll slap in some color and then use color look up tables in photoshop in layers to quickly figure out the palette. This is such a fast easy way to get an exciting color palette I discovered this technique toward the last stage, but you can see the dramatic difference it makes.

Phil Hale forever owns this blue sky background, but I tried it anyway. 

I had the idea to add the shotgun blast to add some action and the 'grabbing' action I was doing with the left arm just didn't look right....flip the canvas often! You will see things you can't see normally.

I decided I needed to ditch the sky background- I love you Phil Hale, but dammit that's been done so many times now...enter the big flag.

trying to pull the focus of the piece together at this point- directing the eye of the viewer....manipulating you...you feel me.

I thought this was done! It's actually in Spectrum this way!

BAM! The magic of color look  up tables and my new flying debris thing...more cinematic, more action...more intensity!!! I