Happy New Year

Sorry I haven't been updating as often as I would like. The holiday season has been very busy.


I finally got my feet wet doing live caricature work (check out my Facebook page for pics). Unlike many in field, I don't use markers. Instead I use black colored pencil and white charcoal on toned paper. I like the look of it but have to increase my speed.


In other news:
My computer has been rather slow lately due to a burned out graphics card. Mental note- cooling fans don't work so well clogged with dust. I temporarily replaced it with a cheaper model I picked up at a local store. I will be getting a superior card in the near future. I look forward to being able to put my Cintiq back to use. I have tons of new ideas I want to try.

My wife got me an Ipod Touch and I have been playing around with AutoDesk's Sketchbook Mobile. I don't have a stylus for it so it isn't quite as precise as I want, but it is great for toying around. I have been using it's symmetry feature to design aliens which I plan to finish in Photoshop. Below is one of them:

Miranda Kerr Sketch.

Here is a sketch I did for the monthly jam over at the Drawing Board of Model Miranda Kerr. There are several changes that I can already see I will make when I go to paint this but anyway here it is:

I am also working on sketches of Lady Gaga, Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) and a better Jon Stewart. All of these will eventually be painted. I have also been working on a painting of Putin and Trump.

Rowan along.......

As promised here are some sketches from the second lesson followed by a progression of Rowan Atkinsom depictions starting with the Sketchbook Pro sketch through to the completed photoshop painting.

Some sketches and a decision.

Here are a few sketches I have done recently in Sketchbook Pro:


I drew Dolly for the March contest over at e-caricatures. I may or may not do a more finished version.

Jon has such a fascinating face. I have drawn it a dozen times and none of them I am completely satisfied with. This probably comes closest to where I want it to be. One day I hope to do a finished colored version of him.

I drew Coulter because I love her long neck. Every time I see her I feel compelled to start drawing her but haven't until now. This one I will turn into a finished colored painting eventually (digital painting that is). Will make a great companion piece for my O'Reilly.

I think I have mentioned in previous posts that I wanted to take a couple courses at Schoolism.com I want to take Character Design with Stephen Silver and A Caricature class by Jason Seiler. Unfortunately I can't afford both. I had decided to take Silver's course this year and Seiler's another year, but re-thinking it I have decided to take them both after all. However instead of taking the full course I will take the self-taught versions. While I have no doubt that the full version is well worth every penny, at present it is more economical for me to take the self-taught versions and take both. I will post progress updates as soon as I begin either of them (hopefully within the week if I am correct in thinking I can start them as soon as I pay being that they are self-taught).

I am almost done working on a dog caricature and will soon begin working on a colored pencil portrait for another client. Haven't done one of those in a bit, I look forward to it. I am also starting preliminary work for a special personal project I want to have completed by April. More on that later.

Sketchin with Sketchbook Pro.

I am starting to really dig Sketchbook Pro. It is great for just doodling or sketching. I still haven't gotten around to learning all its ins and outs but I have been using photoshop7 for ages and I have barely scratched its surface.

Here are two sketches of NCN members I did recently.

Mike Carlon:


Joe Bluhm:

Been busy.

It has been awhile since I have had a chance to post. Since my last post I attended the NYComicon and learned a good deal. I also met several great people including Joe Bluhm. I purchased a caricature from him which I will post soon (Thanks Joe!). If you are not familiar with his work you should rectify that. As soon as I have more time I will post a more complete description of my trip there.

I have also become a member of the NCN and purchased a Wacom Cintiq (review on it's way)

I have been playing around with my Cintiq and Sketchbook pro when I haven't been working on a couple of commissions. Here is a sketch I did of a coworker:


I will have more pictures to show soon of what I have been working on.

Life Drawing

This Monday I went to a life drawing session. Getting together with fellow artists is always a great thing and this was no exception.

These first two are of other artists who were there drawn during a break.


I am still working on proportion, I noticed I tended to shorten the legs. I look forward to going again.

While watching Jack's Big Music Show with my kids this morning. I got inspired to draw the violin duo Nuttin But Stringz. I watched a bunch of videos on YouTube and did some gesture drawings and chose two that flowed nicely together and put them together via photoshop. Eventually I will work this sketch up to a finished drawing (of course I have had that plan for other pieces such as Dueling Wonkas which have yet to be completed).

Hand Sketches..

Did these quick sketches while bored at work. You can clearly see the fold lines and neat shadows from when I folded the paper to put in my pocket. It is great practice and I have realized it is damn hard to keep my hand in the same position while I am drawing with the other one. Good reason to pick up my speed. Over all I am happy with them but I definately see room for improvement

From the Sketchbook

These were all done of kids in the book 'Facial Expressions Babies to Teens- a visual reference for artists' by Mark Simon which my wonderful wife got for me for Christmas.

She also got me Joe Bluhm's book 'Rejects- the extree3m art of retail caricature'. God I love her.

Hello Again

Here are those Office sketches I meant to post previously. Been too busy. I just got Sketchbook Pro and have been learning how to use it. I shall post some results soon. I also got 'Facial Expressions babies to Teens by Mark Simon for Christmas from my wonderful wife, Lisa. I shall be putting it to good use.

James Hetfield

This first sketch is my first attempt at sketching Metallica's James Hetfield. Obviously it didn't work out all that well. The second sketch is with the head redrawn and photoshopped onto the original sketches body. This is a study for a larger Metallica digital painting. I am going through WACOM withdrawal right now because I need replacement parts for my stylus. Probably will be another week or more until it arrives. There are some more pieces I might get to posting later.

Feeling Sketchy

OOooooo three days in a row. I am impressed. It has a been an inspirational day. While looking through the threads at the World Artist Network group on MySpace, I saw a few things that made me want to draw. The first was a family photo of one of the members, that resulted in this quick digital sketch:




The other was a video of Terry Border from over at Bent Objects. Which resulted in some sketches in my newest sketchbook: