Caricature Express

Here’s a quote, something I wrote on this blog. From September 27th.

“Makes me feel like I should be going in to something else -
like cartoons. But we can get so scattered.
I’m happily busy round the clock doing
Caricatures, Face-Painting, and Balloons.
Sometimes other work when it just lands at my doorstep.”

I just came across this entry. And I realized that I just had one of those
times. One of those times when I ended up ‘doing something else’.

A producer from CNN recently asked me to make a small black/white ‘Caricature’
of him and his boss. He described the story of his boss telling him a story about using graphics in the olden days. Not the writer, I just suggested ideas for him.

Boss: Listen, I’m really a cartoon.

Those are some starting ideas.
I’d love to keep playing with it,
but we just got to make a decision

Here’s his response:
“The event we were at was CNN Heroes: 2008.
Maybe we could make that the title of the piece or incorporate it in the sketch.
I loved your ideas.
Let’s go with:
Boss – In Providence we used cartoons for graphics.
Me – Funny, I just use them to kiss up.” Here’s the picture I came up with based on his photos.
The woman in the magazine was standing next to my client in his photo.

This was a little outside my box.
Outside of the things I usually do.
As I wrote: “other work when it just lands at my doorstep.”

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

A new restaurant catering to celebrities is opening here on the East Coast. About a month ago, they put me on retainer - so I’d be available to draw whenever they want. They like the Caricatures relatively tame, so I’m just getting the feel for it. Here are the first three that they wanted:

Mayor Gerald Jennings, Robin Williams, and Jeff Spurber:

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

Oh My Goodness! Oh My Goodness!
I just got back from Sag Harbour.
The day was a whirlwind - from the
moment that I found out that I had
been awarded Best of the Best by
the Readers of Dan’s Papers.
Best of the Best Caricaturist. Me.

I consider Dan’s Papers to be the
most established paper out in the
Hamptons. It’s The place to be.
And they chose me as the Best Caricaturist!
I work out that way a lot, but I
had no idea that this sort of voting
went on!

So I went to the presentations today.
Met as many of the ‘Bests’ that I had
time for. Each person there was so
interesting. Best Doctor - who told me about
Botox - smile. Best Hairdresser - who recommended
that I get my hair stacked more in the back.
Best Aerial Photographer who was so excited to
meet me because she’s been dreaming of a
business-campaign that would need some Caricatures…
Best Vineyard.

We all took a picture with owner Dan Rattiner -
I guess it will be in the next issue of Dan’s Papers.

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

In addition to all the parties I’ve been working, I’ve been doing a lot of Studio Caricatures too. Including the Political Scene - it’s so expected that it’s a Caricaturist’s place ~

Here’s one where I tried not to sway the voters’ opinions. A company that makes yummy Smoothies wanted to get people to vote for their favorite Smoothie - and it wasn’t clear whether people would be voting for Drinks or Political Candidates. At first I thought I was making a banner for them:

But then I was told that it was for postcards. And the client had all sorts of changes requested. I preferred my own color choices, but of course I delivered what the client wanted. Both my original design and this new design - they both have something different that’s good about them:

I was very fortunate when I was doing the Robeks job.
Because my web-designer was around,
and he taught me some neat things with PhotoShop -
such as how to use ‘Color Burn’ with the ‘Brush Tool’
(He actually did the Color on the post-card-sized Obamas).
So now my PhotoShop skills go way beyond ‘Paint Bucket’.
And someday, maybe someday, a Waakum Tablet
(I hear the Cintiqs are fun.)

And here are 2 recent gifts created from the information that
my client gave me about 2 men who were Retiring:

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

Ever have some idea posted on your wall for years
before you get up to it? I sure do.

Last Thursday, I finally got myself out to meet the
Berndt Toast Gang. Joe Visichetti had invited
me years ago.

No camera! There I was with people that I’d only heard of,
and I didn’t have a camera.
My cellphone (camera) wasn’t working for a change -
the company said they’d send me a new one in 5-days,
but that’s a different story.

Anyway, here I was, lunching with the Berndt Toast Gang.
No camera, I did what I could. I drew their pictures!

Here are a few of the people I drew:

Dan Danglo. He did Story Boards. Worked for some
of the famous studios. Worked on things like
Felix thet Cat and Mighty Mouse:

I talked with Dan for quite a while. Found out his
approach for quickly getting his ideas to come to life.

And there was Jerry Jurman. He was the first person
who welcomed me when I showed up. Jerry has made
some of the most excellent photographs:

I wished they had us all at one table. But maybe this
was the best. Because you really got a feel for the different personalities
at the table. Still, I wish I could have talked to
Stan Goldberg (who does Archie)
or Bunny - who does the Lockhorns:

And here’s a full-figure sketch I did while Roberta Fabiano
entertained us:

Makes me feel like I should be going in to something else -
like cartoons. But we can get so scattered.
I’m happily busy round the clock doing
Caricatures, Face-Painting, and Balloons.
Sometimes other work when it just lands at my doorstep.
I’m good with illustrations, signs, logos, portraits, oil-paintings, story-boards….
But to seriously pursue each thing is a separate career.
If I was to do any of them, it would be
Illustrations.
I naturally love to tell a story with my pictures.

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