October Reviewed

This month started off with me attending the 16th Annual National Caricaturist Network (NCN) Convention in Reno, Nevada http://www.caricature.org/. This was my first year competing as a Master, since I was fortunate to win the Golden Nosey award for "Caricaturist of the Year" in 2006. Since I was not eligable to compete for the Golden Nosey award again, I spent most of my time observing, socializing and partying with the other artists at this year's convention. However, I still managed to do some drawings. Here's my caricature wall of some of the attending members. All were drawn live onto toned pastel paper with markers and colored pencils. This is a technique I only do at NCN conventions. I use makers and airbrush paints on white bristol paper at my events and retail locations.


I had an event to draw at as soon as I returned from the NCN convention. I literally drove straight from the airport to the event. It was a couple's 50th wedding anniversary party. They were an extremely nice family to work for. They wanted color, so I brought along my airbrush. One of the family members took some photos and later e-mailed them to me. Here's the happy couple...


Me drawing...


Me airbrushing...


Fellow NCN member and caricaturist, Steve Dorris, commissioned me to draw him as Batman. He has requested many artists to draw him as various superheroes (I drew him as Wolverine last year). I used a photograph I had of him and found an Alex Ross http://www.alexrossart.com/ painting of Batman for references. As you can tell, Steve's body is a far cry from the superhero's perfect physique, which adds humor to this illustration. This was drawn in ink, scanned and colored using Adobe Photoshop.

I occasionally make and send out postcards to clients using Amazing Mail http://www.amazingmail.com/. This one is for a $100 discount promotion. I drew a caricature of Benjamin Franklin and pasted it onto a scanned 100 dollar bill in Photoshop. Ben is inked, scanned and colored in Photoshop.


A client requested that I draw her husband posed exactly like my Christopher Reeve/Superman caricature http://www.chrisrommel.com/christopher_reeve.htm. I used the same body and background and pasted his head in place of Reeve's to save time and the client some money. She was very picky and extremely difficult to please. She basically wanted a "pretty" drawing of her husband. I did many sketches and revisions per her endless critiques. It turned into a rather "boring" caricature...almost a portrait. Here it is though...


Happy Halloween! I went as Indiana Jones.