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

Sir Paul

Sketch for new digital painting

NCN April Contest / Matt Damon

Matt Damon is the subject of Master Caricaturist Jan Opdebeeck's monthly contest on the NCN forum. I had tried to do one of him awhile ago but wasn't really happy with the results...so I'm glad to have the opportunity to give him another go!

*Updated with a profile...tried to stretch the likeness a bit more!

Benedict XVI

Sketched Pope Benedict prior to the papal visit...I'm sure we're all in store for 24 hour coverage!!...and if that's not enough you can always go to the Pope's Blog (a discovery made while searching for reference)...the Pope has a blog, amazing!!!

http://thepopeblog.blogspot.com/

Barack

I guess it's time for the Clintons to pack it in...unless of course they're privy to something lurking in the dark corner of Barack's closet (and of course theirs is fairly filled as well).

Inspiration: Don Bevan

Don Bevan is definitely my favorite caricaturist whose work hangs on the walls of Sardi's Restaurant in N.Y.C. Like Hirschfeld & Covarrubias, his line work was brilliant, capturing his subject with just a few strokes...and you have to be a great draughtsman to accomplish that! He also co-wrote the play "Stalag 17" which he got the idea for while actually a P.O.W. in the real Stalag 17 near Baden-Baden. It's very hard to find his work online let alone detailed information about him...in fact the images I posted were taken from the "Off the Wall at Sardi's" book which is also pretty hard to find now as well. I believe he's still alive and would only hope that he might publish a book with his sketches...it would certainly be a best seller among Caricaturists!!.

Lee Marvin

I came across this Lee Marvin interview on YouTube and just started sketching his face...and what a great face it was. Brilliant character actor...they don't make'em like this guy anymore!!!

Lee Marvin / Wikipedia
The Sons Of Lee Marvin

Johnny Depp Final

Well finally had some time to finish this thing up today...I added the W.I.P. gif also to show it's stages as well.

Anton Chigurh

Another fast sketch usually done in front of the computer on a little scratch pad I keep on the desk. This time I brought it into Painter just to add some color...I really want to work more with the software so maybe I'll continue with this using it!

Spielberg Sketch

While browsing through the CG Society Forum I came across a photo of Steven Spielberg receiving a VES lifetime achievement award and felt compelled to do a quick sketch...it may eventually end up being something more.

...just some fun

...doodled some cartoon animals to relax as well!!

Coen Brothers

I decided to take a little break from the Depp piece and play around with this sketch of the Coen Brothers I had laying on my desk. I thought "No Country" was great but the ending was flawed (just my humble opinion). The first 3/4's of the film had the usual terrific Cohen storytelling and character development but then towards the climax it seemed like they needed to cut the length of the movie and just slammed the pieces together...of course I'll need to see it again and who the hell do I think I am questioning GENIUS!

Joel and Ethan Coen / Wikipedia

Johnny

Looks like Johnny's back on the map with his performance in Sweeny Todd which I haven't had the opportunity to see yet. Started roughing out a digital paint of him...like Denzel, he seems to be a tough capture.
*updated

Mercy Now / Mary Gauthier

My father could use a little mercy now
The fruits of his labor
Fall and rot slowly on the ground
His work is almost over
It won't be long and he won't be around
I love my father, and he could use some mercy now

My brother could use a little mercy now
He's a stranger to freedom
He's shackled to his fears and doubts
The pain that he lives in is
Almost more than living will allow
I love my bother, and he could use some mercy now

My church and my country could use a little mercy now
As they sink into a poisoned pit
That's going to take forever to climb out
They carry the weight of the faithful
Who follow them down
I love my church and country, and they could use some mercy now

Every living thing could use a little mercy now
Only the hand of grace can end the race
Towards another mushroom cloud
People in power, well
They'll do anything to keep their crown
I love life, and life itself could use some mercy now

Yeah, we all could use a little mercy now
I know we don't deserve it
But we need it anyhow
We hang in the balance
Dangle 'tween hell and hallowed ground
Every single one of us could use some mercy now
Every single one of us could use some mercy now
Every single one of us could use some mercy now

Mary Gauthier
Sing Mercy Now

Pablo Revisited

Just felt like throwing up another old piece...a gouche caricature of Picasso done in another millenium for my sketchbook.

Project Vote Smart

Sir Francis Bacon said "Knowledge is power"...Project VoteSmart.org provides us with non-partisan information about the Candidates' backgrounds, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances, and performance!!

Photoshop CS3

Santa brought me the the CS3 upgrade for photoshop. I tried the beta version of it and fell in love with the new interface...the tabbed palettes make it so much easier to work. I played around a bit this evening with it and did this sketch. Now the only thing I wish it would have was the option to view the swatches as a color wheel (I think Mac allows you to do that)!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Snoop Dogg Final

Well I finished off the piece tonight and it was kind of a bench mark for me. This was the first time I went totally digital beginning with the sketch. My usual method is to do a rough pencil sketch and then scan it into PhotoShop...ahhh but I finally had enough balls just to dive in this time :)

Snoop

The DrawingBoard is running a Snoop Dogg jam on their caricature thread so I figured I'd give him another shot. I did try him awhile ago but really wasn't too happy with the results...so I'm posting a small detail of the w.i.p just to put something up until it's completed.

Tom Waits

An American Original!!!!

www.tomwaitslibrary.com
www.anti.com