John Kerry

Mr Kerry - beseeching divine guidance? I learnt a trick a long time ago from studying the art of the master cartoonist and caricature artist Derek Bauer, in how to represent certain lines by keeping them simple and 'patterned' - especially when juxtaposed with areas of furious detail. When I came to draw John Kerry's hair, having completed the face with all its detail, it just ended up being too much, somehow. Representing his hair using simple wavy lines gave the contrast needed and kept the comical element.

(Sketchbook Pro + Cintiq)

Ibrahim Tapa

Good luck, Ibrahim.

Reece Rough

Reece Shearsmith

(sketchbook Pro)

A quick line rough of the great Reece Shearsmith. This was one of those happy experiences where a satisfying morph tumbles forth from the pencil on the first attempt. It's pretty rough (with few tidy-ups) but it's the sort of first stage that I'm usually looking to achieve before going on to clean-up for a finished version - however that might be realised.

Shia Labeouf (famous enough...)

Far easier to draw when he's not wearing a paper bag on his head...

Michael Madsen

I've had a few attempts at Mr Madsen's intimidating features (that smile's a shark's smile) with varying, but generally unsatisfying, results. No real change with this lastest effort, which started off OK, then slowly slipped away from me and has ended up looking more like Bob Mills rather than Mr Blonde, ha, ha! Oh well...

Ta, Ta, Trig

Not being an avid telly watcher, I'm only really familiar with Roger Lloyd-Pack's work through his role as Trigger in Only Fools and Horses (back in my younger years I did watch more tv) and as someone perceptively put it elsewhere on the web recently, there was an extra gloss on the episode when you knew that Trigger was in it.
This has been the first chance I've had to acknowledge the actor's death in virtual graphite, so; 'bon voyage', Mr Lloyd-Pack.

Hooky

Found this un-posted pic' of low-slung bass-plucker Peter Hook while rummaging through the caricature hard drive. It's probably a couple of years old but it didn't get a posting at the time as I wasn't that enamoured with it on completion. I know I did a couple of versions of it - obviously wasn't happy with either. Looks alright to me now...strange...

Mid-Era Keef

Because you can't have too much of the human riff!

He may be a caricaturist's cliché - but c'mon, admit it, you'll miss him when he's gone. I received his autobiography 'Life' for Christmas and a jolly good read it is, too. If you love being scandalised by those who are pretty much given a free pass to live outside society's norms and rules then it won't disappoint you. And Keith can write! Is there no end to the man's talents?

Watch Keef being drawn on YouTube:
The above caricature is pretty rough as it was done as an experiment in video capture. Yep, got me one of those You Tube channel things. Funny how even just the invisible audience of the screen capture made the whole process feel unnatural. I was not relaxed. If you wish to see my rather ham-fisted attempt then get over here to see it on YouTube. It won't be winning oscars any time soon (no funky fades, annotations or screen wipes - and it comes to an abrupt end) but after waiting an eon for it to convert/render I didn't want another run at it. The free software I was using wouldn't let me anyway - said something unreasonable like having to actually purchase it...

If you want to see more caricatures-in-progress, then leave a comment or give it a like and I'll endeavour to post more in the future...once I've got my hands on some more software.

Frankie Howerd

Kicking the New Year off with a titter, missus...

Tricky Kid

Tricky Kid

Many thanks to everyone who's checked into my blog over the last twelve months - especially those who've left a comment or emailed - always very welcome. As far as 2013 postings were concerned, I was down a bit on this year compared to last year, so I endeavour to make an improvement on uploads in 2014.

That's it from me until the new year. Keep your pencils sharp and Merry Christmas!

Ben Stiller

That took a bit longer than normal - good fun though: brilliant face!

Nelson Mandela

The last roots train has left the station... goodbye, Junior Murvin

Sad to hear this morning of the death of Junior Murvin. Like everyone else with working ear drums, I love his collab with Lee Perry on Police & Thieves, but his other songs are well worth checking out.  If you like his falsetto delivery and LSP's Black Ark production then I recommend  his first album - also titled 'Police & Thieves' - as a good entry point to his catalogue. Roots Train is a cracking opener...

Owen Wilson

Stuart Broad

Ah, the fluctuating fortunes that comprises English national cricket. It's all handbags at the mo' aint it? Still, here's an oddly beatific looking Broad - don't know what happened there...

Mark Webber

Chin! - Done with Sketchbook Pro.

Benjamin Britten

Sketch!

Young Don

 

Donald Sutherland, in his pomp. Etched in Sketchbook Pro.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

So what's that black bra all about then?
Loved drawing this face - so many great features...

Heisenberg - Colour WIP

Colour stuff going on in the lab...

Dee Dee Ramone

1,2,3,4...

W.I.P.

Cooked colour stuff coming soon-ish... just like Christmas.

Chris Hemsworth...

...as Thor, God of Thunder, no less.

Michael C Hall

Although I had every intention of doing a nice stretch with Mr Hall's face - and he's got a great face to stretch with - this drawing ended up straightening itself out as I progressed. It sort of finished up as a half-way-house between a portrait and a caricature. Don't mind too much as the purpose of the exercise was to concentrate on getting symmetries and levels correct. Good practice.

Sofie Gråbøl

Was intended to be a rough and chewy sketch like the last post but it got more and more involved. Great face!