Tekkonkinkreet

I originally came across this post about the background art in the anime film "Tekkonkinkreet" on the Lines & Colors blog. The links it provided had the most amazing stuff I had seen...the attention to detail was incredible!!! The book (books as I later found out) were not available in the U.S. so I went to Amazon Japan and was able to order them. Although the books are small in size the artwork on their pages make them well worth owning!!!
The book with the White cover has the finished color renderings and the Black cover contains the original pencil sketches that the later artwork was based on. I guess they could've combined both books but in any case they're both terrific. I'm not a big fan of anime but I will definitely rent this one just for the beauty of it's production art.














Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White

"i seldom do" Live Journal / Tekkonkinkreet

SOFTIMAGE|XSI User Profile: Studio 4°C TEKKONKINKREET

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NCN Caricatures and...

A couple of recent caricatures of NCN Members, the briliantly talented Pete Emslie and renaissance man Rock Cowles. I've also added two character studies for an updated version of a classic.

Inspiration: William Dobell

I've been studying the work of portrait painters recently to see what elements I could bring to my own work. I happened to come across the work of Sir William Dobell, a celebrated Australian artist who I was totally unfamiliar with. What really caught my attention was the portrait he had done of fellow artist Joshua Smith which he entitled "Portrait of an Artist" and won him the Archibald Prize (regarded the most important portraiture prize in OZ).
Like Otto Dix and George Grosz, Dobell would exaggerate his subjects to the point where it became caricature and it seems that's what caused him a big problem with the Archibald.
Dobell’s Archibald win was contested by two unsuccessful artists who filed a lawsuit against him and the Gallery’s board of Trustees in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The main witness, J.S MacDonald argued that Dobell’s painting of Joshua Smith did not comply with the Archibald guidelines as it was not a balanced likeness of an actual person, but a caricature (which it clearly was). Although the award was upheld the ordeal left Dobell physically and emotionally scarred.
So once again caricature was considered a lower art form when obviously many of the "Masters" morphed their subjects attempting to capture their essence.

Michael Phelps Final Sketch

Once again I'm much happier with the likeness on this one. I was still working with a pretty bad lo-res reference photo...ahh, but now he's on the cover of the new S.I. and I'm sure good ones will now be abundant (estimated to make 100 million in endorsements!!!!). Good for him...some times hard work does pay off!!

The Amazing Michael Phelps

*Updated the sketch and I'm much happier with the likeness on this one...now I'll tighten it up





This is Michael Phelps' moment and he has definitely risen to the occassion so far! I'm sure there will be many caricatures of him after Bejing...and although I'm not too happy with this one it's an incentive to attempt him again.
I also added a few other rough sketches should anyone care to add a little C&C.

David Levine at the Met

What a wonderful gift I was given today running into David Levine, one of the all time great caricaturists at the Met. We were both there to see the J.M. Turner show and while walking through the Roman sculpture hallway I happened to glance over and there the Master stood. We had a brief conversation about caricature and he told me he and the New York Review of Books had parted ways (definitely the end of an era), but he looked great and said he's still working although now mainly in pencil foregoing his trademark Pen & Ink.

You know it's funny, people have always commented about my crosshatching and I owe my understanding of that technique partly to the "Master" since it was mainly his work I studied to learn how to do it. Again, what a great honor it was to meet this man and life is certainly strange when you think about how many people were in that museum today and this chance encounter happened...amazing!!

The New York Review of Books
David Levine Caricatures
D. Levine Ink

Francis Albert Sinatra

...roughed out a few more Italian Americans (Coppola & Sinatra) and then did a finished drawing of Frank based on the sketch.

Edward Norton

After some great C&C posted by my friends at the DrawingBoard Forum I think I can live with this version. It started out just as a personal challenge sketch (ie: the looseness in the drawing) but with the help of Photoshop I was able to tweak this really hard subject to a reasonable likeness.

2008 Communication Arts Illustration Annual

It's a great honor to have my Johnny Depp caricature included in the 2008 CA Illustration Annual. As always the work showcased on it's pages is outstanding and just to be in there with all that talent is incredible.

Pacino

Just tightened up the original sketch...and if you get a chance check out David O'Keefe's blog where he posted a "Godfather W.I.P." that is terrific!!

...also adding a rough sketch of the Dalai Lama

Seinfeld

It must be great to know you never have to work another day in your life...and only if you want to!

Happy Birthday Pup!

...well you're now officially older than Daddy!! Love you Baby Boy!!

Farewell Son Of Buffalo

Tim Russert
1950 - 2008

Watching the election returns will not be the same without him...he's a tough guy to replace and will be sorely missed!!!

Tim Burton Updated + 1

Well I reworked the Burton sketch...followed Paul Moyse's suggestion to reduce the size of the eyes and did a bit more tweaking...I'm happier with this version and could definitely take it to the painting stage. I also had a reference photo of Al Pacino sitting on my desk so I roughed one out of him as well. Now I guess before I get sidetracked on anything else I should finish the McCartney!

One more from the sketchbook...

I think I missed a bit on the likeness of this one as well...maybe I'll be able to figure it out if I take it to the painting stage!

Im A Collectible!

The über talented Court Jones was commissioned by Upper Deck Cards for their "MLB Presidential Predictor Series" and to my surprize and delight I found out that myself and another NCN member, Elgin Bolling, a.k.a The Subway Surfer were included in the background of the Rudy card as spectators! Head over to the "Presidential Predictor" site to see the rest of the cards (or even better buy a set)...all are superb!

Thanks again Court!!!!

Court Jones
"MLB Presidential Predictor Series"

Henry Jones Jr.

Okay, everyones been posting a Harrison Ford lately (gee I wonder why the sudden interest) so I thought I would give him a shot...and yes, as most have said, he is a tough one!!!

Sketchbook

Two quick ones from the sketchbook...I may want to take these a bit farther, especially the "Hawking"...I don't think I've ever seen one of this amazing man!

A Pair of W.I.P.'s

Well I finally got around to working on the McCartney caricature and roughed one out of Bruce Lee (cause I needed a break from Sir Paul)! I hope to finish the Mac by this week...I'm so friggin' lazy!

NCN May Challenge

The subject of the Jan Opdebeeck's NCN May Challenge is Marilyn Manson. I decided to try a little Pen & Ink for this caricature, a medium I haven't used in a long while. Egon Schiele and George Grosz kept coming to mind while studying the reference photo...I love their work!


* Added some color & texture in PhotoShop (although the rules are "no digital"!)

Inspiration: Bosch, Bruegel, & Grünewald

The fact that these Masters were brilliant caricaturists is obvious. I was first attracted to their work in my early twenties when I was experimenting with alternate ways of seeing (like most of the "Just Say Yes" generation) and was blown away at the way they could depict human suffering. Their subjects were twisted, mangled and exaggerated like nothing I had seen before. Some claim that their work was the effect of toxic delirium caused by ergotism, a disease brought about by the consumption of contaminated rye which was rampant during the Middle Ages.

Hieronymus Bosch
Pieter Bruegel
Matthias Grünewald