Caricature Express

Oh woe. I try to do such a good job. Really looking. Making exaggerations. That’s what Caricature is supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be pretty pictures in which everybody looks like some preconceived imaginary fashion model.

There I was at a party. I started drawing the first picture you see here. It’s unfinished because the Mother of the Birthday Girl, with good intentions, quietly asked me to put it away and make a ‘better’ one of her guest. I did that, and the girl is holding the picture that came out of shocked me. My Flow was halted. I did the best I could to please my client.

But the girl was cool. Fun-loving, she came to me afterwards and asked to see the first picture. I gave her a quick glance at it, and she laughed - fully comfortable with herself.

I think the girl knew what she looked like. And she sensed that there was no animosity in my drawing. And I think that the well-meaning Mother was actually giving the girl a message that it’s Not All Right to Look Like Herself.

We all look ‘Different’. It’s the ones that can accept their individuality and go with it that have the higher self-esteem. Self acceptance. Happier. And actually ‘look better’.

How I ended up watching this movie - Summer Catch - don’t ask. But there I was……What to do? I know! I’ll draw some pictures!

Actually, I did pick up one good line form this movie.
I don’t remember exactly how they said it, but it was
something like - The reason the Indian Rain Dance worked
is that they didn’t stop dancing until it rained.

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

I redrew some of the pictures that
I just posted from Parties Before Eureka (PBE).

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

Can you understand ?? This picture is okay, not the greatest, but I’m all excited with it. It’s a very important piece. It marks a turning point in my development as a Caricaturist, as a real Artist who doesn’t just copy the world.

It’s a picture of Klaas OpDeBeek, an Artist from Belgium. The first photo shows him holding the picture that I drew. It’s okay:

Then the picture was hanging around on my floor before mailing it to him. And one day, not trying, no effort, an Idea (Eureka!) came to me. Those narrow cheeks with that big noticeable mouth – I COULD TUCK THE CHEEKS INTO A BOWL OF THE MOUTH ! I was thinking outside of the box. Hadn’t seen that done anywhere else (That’s the picture that I posted here on 11/15/08):

Picture 2 (above) was the big turning point. But here’s another rendition where I tried a different way to portray my idea. Now I’m just fiddling around with it:

Eureka! Now I’m a Real Artist, a CREATOR !

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

I Like to take my time
I mean that when I want to do a thing
I like to take my time and Do it right.
Lyrics by Mr. Rogers

More than ever, I’m believing in that.
I can crank out picture after picture at a Party,
but I can also hit that 10 per hour request
when I take a litl more time to really look.
(I’d like to take All the time I’d want,
Really get into each picture
to peruse through pleasurable CreA-tivity,
but I’ve never seen a party handled that way……
I’m thinking now - would anyone like me to
study and observe - sustaaaaayned look - at the
Guest of Honor - following the Guest of Honor around all through the Party - instead of person pop person pop person?)

Anyway, here are some of the pictures I drew at Parties recently: