Caricature Express

I’ve arrived. First, fulfilling my childhood dream of making Coloring Books. Then, working for the Agent that seemed unattainable the first time I asked a Disney-Park Artist how she got her position. And now - Here’s a picture with an interesting story. I was drawing a Caricature. Sam Viviano, an editor of

MAD MAGAZINE!

walked by -
He stopped in his tracks - “I like that”, he said.
My heart aflutter - this time I remembered to, as silly as it is, but I swallowed my arrogance and asked him to write that onto my picture.

He did that. I, happily unfocused, then started Coloring the picture that he had just signed. Who would’ve thought I would have ruined it Then? But, distracted, excited, I totally Wrecked the picture that actually Had his approval written on it. An excellent picture when he saw it (line-work), I don’t believe he would have wanted his approval on the finished picture after I messed it up with the Colors. Yeow - what a weird situation:

Well, I went on and redrew the guy. What could I do?:

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Celebrity status? Well, I’m wondering - what degree of papparazzi does a person have to have in order to claim Celebrity status? How many times need we be written up in the media both with and without our knowledge (all for free). There must be some sort of degree of Celebrity status - like some people are Over-the-top, but others are still ‘in the limelight’.

What got me thinking about that was because I was called by a writer from the New Rochelle Review this morning. He had seen me drawing at last night’s First Night Celebrations, and he wanted a little more information. So I guess he’s writing about me.

And I was on the radio during that event last night.

And I remember one time about 15 years ago
when I was drawing at a Father’s Day Event
at a very exclusive club in East Hampton
when somebody took pictures and said they would be printed in some paper that’s distributed out there.

And there was the time when I was drawing at a Harry Potter Opening
at a Borders Book Store in NJ - I was subsequently sent a newspaper clipping which had a very big picture of a child holding up the Caricature I had drawn of her.

And the Baldwin Public Library - I draw there every year for a special Library Day - at least one year I remember someone saying that they wanted information about me because they write for a paper out there.

All sorts of vague references to things like this
pass me by. These are just the ones I’m recalling just now -

Oh yeah - I just remembered about wishing I had stopped to talk to the guy from the radio one year when I was rushing to get set up at Dan’s Kitefly (Bridgehampton) - another event that I work at every year - - - He wanted me to stop, but I don’t remember if I came back to him or not…..

So I was saying - these are just some of the instances that I can recall off the top of my head - I’m sure there are plenty more, and there are even more than that which I never even know about.

So does that give me Celebrity Status? Well, is there such a thing as a ‘Small Celebrity’? I’ve been ‘in the news’ for many years already.

Oh yeah - I’m remembering a time when I was drawing at Mitch Modell’s (owner of Modell’s Sporting Goods) older daughter’s party. And she asked if I was famous…. apparently had the idea that I was…..

And on. And on.

To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com

The Mayor of Sagg Main Beach is so good to me.
Actually, I see him being welcoming to All the good people who go there.

Once again, I drew at the Kitefly this past summer.
He sent me a photo of one of the beautiful people
holding the Caricature that I drew there on the beach:

photo courtesy of Lester Jay Elliston
The Summer Place
Bridgehampton, NY

To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com

Then I came home and started watching The Hulk.

This is a picture of a guy who comes into Bruce Banner’s college lab
and threatens him with a ‘hostile take-over’.

To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com

I just watched the movie, Corky Romano. Tempted to draw while watching, as usual. I chose this actor, Richard Roundtree - because of some parties that I have coming up. I’ve been getting a lot of Parties to do Caricatures on the white t-shirts that are supplied by my clients. I usually don’t color the whole face when I’m working on the t-shirts, but I didn’t feel Confident on the times that I did want to color the whole face. Since I would have wanted to color Roundtree’s face, I decided to draw him.

And instead of using PhotoShop or Color-sticks as I usually would, I used a heavy brown Chartpack marker. First trying to leave out Highlight, trying to shape with Contours….ick. Then I finally found a technique that worked! A quick, simple technique to color an entire face, add in a few shadows, and Yes! I’m thrilled with it!

I’m just in such a good mood. I learned 3-D Face-Painting today and applied it to the best skull I ever face-painted yet. Will the growth never cease? I’ll post a photo of that Face-Painting if/when I ever find it in the thousands of photos that I have here…..

To be continued……

To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com