The Chief

Wow, it's been a couple of months now since starting these lunchtime caricatures. I think I've refined my approach a bit and seem to be hitting the mark more closely- I feel they're looking better anyway. I haven't exactly done a full two months worth, but it keeps me drawing something that isn't someone else's style.
The last three shouldn't have been too difficult, but here's the answers anyway-
Bruno was Bruce Willis
Snake was Kurt Russell
and Give me a Chevy was Quentin Tarantino

Here's The Man's man himself...

Give me a Chevy

Snake

Another tough guy, and a bit of a personal favourite actor.

Bruno

Answers for last week were...
Forgot my Son was Home Alone's John Heard
Desperate Husband was William H. Macy
and Cockney was of course Michael Caine



I should've posted this one on Thursday, but with going away for the Easter long weekend, I didn't get around to it.
Better late than never...

Train Table

Over our Labour Day holiday weekend a couple of weeks ago I took on a little project in spite of the stinking heatwave Melbourne was suffering through. I'd promised Madi a while back that I'd make her a table for her "Thomas the Tank Engine" trains and track, and with the freelance work finally out of the way, I had some free time.
The ready made tables were a bit small for my liking, and although she'd been having fun (and me too) spreading out the track over the lounge-room floor, she was a bit frustrated with not being able to get around it properly and upsetting the track with having to clamber over it. She really needed a table top to set it up on, and so I figured I'd make a big one with collapsible legs which could also be stowed under her bed when not in use.
So, after a trip to Bunnings for supplies and a busy day and a bit sawing, hammering and drilling outside(and forgetting to take progress shots), I moved it inside to proceed in air-conditioned comfort on the painting...
All finished with the legs folded under and on castors.
Legs up.
Ready for play with a very happy little girl.

Easter Weekend

We went away camping over the Easter long weekend with some friends of ours, Tesh and Craig and their two kids, Kiarna and Mason; to Eagle Point, down near Lakes Entrance on the east coast of Victoria. We had lovely weather and Madi was absolutely thrilled about sleeping in her new "Dora" sleeping back in a tent.

The caravan park where we stayed was right on the waterfront to Lake King. Craig had taken down their boat and we went out for a ride in the "biscuit". Madi rode in my lap for a quiet tow at first, and then I had a solo go as Craig tried in vain to slingshot me past the side of the boat and out of the biscuit.

Cameron took it easy on the beach watching with Mummy.At night-time it was stoke the fire and roast the marshmallows.
Madi the little socialite that she is, endeared herself to many of the other kids also staying at the park for the weekend. She was busy running around with the kids or riding her bike and generally had a wonderful time.All in all, it was a lovely relaxing weekend, that seemed a bit longer than the four days that it was.

Cockney

Inspiration

The idea for this post came about with gathering all my stuff of my computer at the games company. I was having to make sure my work was accessable for everyone else once I'd finished and so, after dumping all of that onto the server, I also dumped a bunch of stuff I'd collected as reference whilst there, for those who it might be useful. A friend of mine who'd started there a few weeks beforehand, was having a look through it and commented on the diversity that was there.

So, this is by no means my be-all-and-end-all list of influences, just some stuff that I'd compiled in the time I was employed there, or brought in from what I had at home and thought relevant. I'm certainly not one who has a list of certain artists that are their inspiration that they can run off by rote.

Most of these are somewhat animation relevant, and that's generally how I've come across them. There are certainly varying styles, but all of their work is solid and well-structured and has a certain "Appeal". I like lots of things, and for varieties of reasons, but it is generally the presence of these solid drawing skills and draftmanship that I look for and am attracted to.

Here's at least some of the list...

Shiyoon Kim

Claire Wendling
Walt Kelly
Frank Frazetta

Michel Gagne
Gil Elvgren
Jamie Hewlett
Regis Loisel
Adam Koford

Arthur de Pins
Chris Battle
Chris Sanders
Dean Yeagle
Shane Glines

Ooh, the Pin-up Girlies show up a bit there don't they?

There are also many animation artists whose particular style of drawing which is evident in their rough drawings that I admire, but I'll save that for another day...

Desperate Husband

Talk about a gift horse...
I kinda raced through this one a bit too quickly in hindsight, not that I think it matters much.

Forgot my Son

Back into the caricatures...
As distinct an actor as this guy is he was quite hard to do.

Pathetic really...

I know, I know. I start a new job and forget everything.
Well, I'm back into 2D animation and loving it. Currently working on designs for a new TV series and then into storyboards. I'm having lots of fun drawing corrigated iron, tin sheds, blue singlets and blundstones. Generally trying to draw somewhat like Ken Maynard.
This isn't exactly what I'm drawing but will give you a general idea of the look. Maybe as we get into it more I'll post up some work.

I also don't have a scanner currently hooked up to my computer at work yet, and haven't had time at home to scan anything. Excuses, excuses.

As for the forgotten week and the caricature answers...

Sexy was Jessica Biel

Player was Ronn Moss

and Different Sexy was Eva Mendes

Different Sexy

Not a personal favourite of mine, but apparently she rates up there on "the List"

Player

Sometimes they're just too easy...
And here I s'pose lies the constant battle. Those "strong" features are great to grab onto and exaggerate, but those people with subtle features are quite difficult to find the "hook" that sells them.
My Wife will surely get a kick out of this one.

Sexy

Damn, pretty girls are tough.
I think I'm pretty close with this one tho'.

Best Dressed

I'm wondering a bit where I'm going with these sometimes. Some I think work as caricatures, others seem to be bordering on portrait. There's the challenge I suppose, not all the pickings are necessarily so easy. There was a couple of abandoned attempts last week, but the ones that made it were-
Special Agent... was Kyle MacLachlan
and Toy Soldier was Sean Astin

Here's hoping this week starts of well, moderately happy with the result, I've tried to get the warp back on.

At last, some more game stuff

Here we go, for those who've been hanging out for some more game concept art. It's funny looking back at some of it now, as I've also been at work in preparation of my departure; it's had quite an evolution, these top two drawings show that it deviated down the combat path for quite a length of time considering it was supposed to be a platformer.
This character was modified from how he currently looks in the game.

This character was cut.
This was me having a bit of fun with a "medic" character. Some alien cheesecake. Alien plant.

Boxworld paintover.

Cinderella Bow

Here's another scene from "Cinderella 3". This one's from near the end of the film where Cinderella thanks the fairy godmother. The dress as it appears here was later altered before being cleaned up because as it was put so aptly by our character lead "No woman working on this team would be caught dead wearing a dress like this". It was awful, even though the full extent cannot be seen here. There were bows and sashes galore along the bottom edge of it, that caused a number of us to start lampooning her dresses in the film.