Caricature Express

Artists. I recently saw Al Lopez, a California Caricaturist who specializes in Pin-Ups. Finally got him to draw this picture of me. So Cute!

It’s unusual for me to be wearing a big t-shirt, but I’m glad I did this time. I was wearing a souvenier that I had bought on the street in NYC. Now that Al included that in this picture, I guess I can dub myself Ms New York? Smile.

One of these days I’m going to draw a picture that shows how charming he is. Meanwhile, all I did was to focus on expanding 3-D forms with just line when I was drawing him. It’s just what I was into that day:

I went to a 6-year old’s party in NJ today. I was having an upright time with a helpful 6-year-old who seemed so mature. Surprised me when she reminded me that she couldn’t read yet - She’s working on it, and can spell her big name already: Stephanie.

Here’s the picture that Stephanie drew of me. So you’re probably wondering - who am I really? I am too. Is Stephanie right? Is Al right? Some other Artist perhaps? All I know is that I’m having fun and meeting wonderful people.

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

Reminder to Self: There are no Solutions - Only Choices.

Wednesday night, I was drawing at a Corporate Event at the Hilton. Might have done my best Caricatures ever! Except maybe last year at a Public Library. Hmmmm, I had a different approach for each.

DANG! I DIDN’T HAVE A CAMERA WITH ME! At least I can write down the approach(es), so maybe I can slip into them again.

Actually, I have so many different ways to approach Caricaturing. What works one day, doesn’t necessarily work another day/place. But those two gigs I just mentioned - I sure picked right those times.

Sometimes, when it doesn’t come to me, I just have to draw piece by piece. But at the Hilton, I was able to visualize the end result - visualize Wow Real Caricatures before I started to draw. Then I looked mostly at MY PAPER while drawing - just looking back at the real person for references.

At the Library, I was thinking more geometrically when I looked at the parts of the person’s face. And I gestured those shapes onto my paper.

I did use a predraw at the Hilton (maybe too much - next time I hope I’ll just to do first few indications and then trust my marker). And I did not use any predraw at the Library. Just goes to show - there’s no one answer to how to do this stuff. Gotta find my way anew in each situation. Just like life. There are many ways to handle each situation. That there’s no one right script. Living is to see the results of what we did.

We’re excited when we are pleased with the results of our choices. Just knowing that, makes me excited to face today. Not sure if I liked all the results of what I did/said yesterday, and I have another chance to do/say things today. I’m glad for the chance to get out there and LIVE! And looking forward to the weekend’s gigs, too, or course.

Beautiful pictures? Beautiful people? I just wanna have Fun.

Surfing around the web, I went to a rhinoplasty sight. Drew this picture:

A plain quick picture. Then I decided to play around with it - that’s real Caricature. I usually do get better exaggerations when I redraw my picture:

And then look at what happened to her:

And playing in PhotoShop:

Then I tried a technique called NonColor that another Artist, Elgin Bolling, created today:

Yeah - Art is Fun.

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

My father-in-law used to tell a story - A story about the worm in the horseradish. The gist of the story is that a worm could be so happy to have found enough food to feed him for a lifetime - if he found a bitter horseradish. Because he can’t see another worm’s experience - he can’t know what life is like for some worm that finds an apple!

Well, people’s lives aren’t as clear-cut as apples and horseradishes. I see so many people - having all sorts of different life-experiences. I can’t say which is a bitter life or which is a sweet life. But I can peek inside their realities - I can see so many different ways to live. It’s so interesting.

Here are a few pictures from a couple of parties I recently worked at. It includes pictures from a party at a ‘group-home’, an ‘assisted living’ situation in the suburbs. And from a party in the backyard of a small attached-house full of extended family - city-life with kids who always had plenty of people around - whether they were inside or outside. Both of those situations are so different from my own.

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