A Little Mouse Told Me...

A little technique demo I tried in Art Rage.  I'm trying to replicate some of the magic of the CF Payne technique digitally and I'm including this process gif to show how it transpired.  There's a lot I still need to work on, but for a quick evening's worth of doodling, I was happy with what I've learned so far.

Enjoy, everyone, and God bless!

Our Greatest Asset

A little doodle I did at lunch today while still processing the events in CT. Odd that we would never trust our money in a building without armed security, cameras, and secure locks, yet we would send our children daily into buildings with none of those things without a moment's hesitation. We are told constantly that children are our most valuable asset, but it seems to me that that which is truly most valuable is evident by the lengths to which you'll go to protect it.

I Wasn't Lost, But Evidently I Was Found

Quite an honor!  I was contacted by one of the writers at Salon.com asking if they could feature my Paul Ryan caricature from several months ago on their site.  They were super friendly and although I'm quite sure we come from different ends of the political spectrum, they were really nice to me and I am really excited about the opportunity.  

Thanks to the folks at Salon!  

God bless,

-Bret <><

Go local sports team, GO!

Not jumping on the bandwagon by any means, but it's nice to see a Florida team do well this year after a couple disappointing post-seasons from the Lightning and Rays.  Plus, LeBron's face was REALLY fun to draw :)

God bless!

The Eyes Have It

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi...is staring through my skull.  I never had an irrational fear of clowns before, but I think I have a perfectly rational fear of them now.  That's a LOT of makeup, friends.

Ok, in all seriousness, this was actually pretty fun.  Older folks are always fun to draw and for some reason, old politicians are even more fun.  I think it's because you can't separate their personalities from their looks.  Being in the public EYE...yikes, I did it again...stop staring...anyway, being in the public VIEW, I imagine that the more extreme the personality, the more it manifests itself outwardly in their appearance.  

In complete fairness, Ms. Pelosi is not an unattractive person.  But, as my Mom always said "beauty is as beauty does".  And if what you do defines your beauty, then I think I'm justified in saying that Ms. Pelosi has looks that could kill.  

Now stop staring at me...

It's Still April!

Whew...just squeaking this one under the wire today.  Trying very hard not to neglect those of you that follow, peruse, or otherwise enjoy the blog. 

Well, it looks like I'll get at least one post in before April ends, so I thought I'd post some weekend doodles from a caricature class featuring Jason Seiller (yes, THE Jason Seiller).  Working through the material slowly, but steadily.  Week one has you draw a handful of sketches of "citizens" (non-celebrities) and this is the first of three for me.  Technically his sketches use a lot off cross-hatching and look more like pencil drawings, but honestly, I'm so used to working this way that it's just become more comfortable for me to do sketches in Photoshop with a more "rendered" look.  It's just easier for me to fill in the big areas with a bigger brush than to hatch them out, though if you look closely, there's still a good bit of hatching, even when using this modified "painting" technique.  

Hope you guys enjoy!  May-be (get it...May) we'll have more work to post next month, but things are pretty busy at work, so I can't guarantee anything.  It's good to be busy though, so I can't complain!

God bless, everyone!

-Bret <><

The Gold Standard

What's there to say about President Reagan?  I was far too young during his administration to have remembered much, but I have learned a great deal about the man's character, strength, and leadership in the years since.  

One of the things I think I admire most was his ability to write and speak so convincingly about his convictions.  He was winsome and warm, yet principled and steady.  So many of our current politicians may convey one of those qualities, some perhaps two.  But no one since has embodied the qualities of Reagan in total, making him one of the rarest of historical figures - a man admired from both sides.

Here's to the gold standard of leadership...a humble attempt at capturing that charming smile in a fun, cartoony style.  

Enjoy, everyone, and God bless!

Grant Goalie-Land

Man, I love original artwork.

Man, I love looking at me.

Man, I love original artwork of me that I can look at.

My good ol' buddy from art school Grant Gilliland drew this cartoon-tastic drawing of yours truly as part of his "20 Dollar Drawings" offering on his website (linked above).  I've always wanted one of his originals and now I have one!  Thanks, Grant!  

Check out his site and for heaven's sake, BUY A DRAWING!  It's only $20!

Head and Shoulders, Nose and Gums

And in glorious RGB color...the final (ish) sketch of my new self portrait.  It's not perfect, but I really like where this is going.  Jon Pinto encouraged me to try using my black and white sketch underneath the color version and glaze on top like the old masters did.  Adapting any traditional technique to digital is always a bit of a challenge, but I am so incredibly pleased with some of the interesting marks and the process of pushing and pulling the color back and forth that I really think this is a technique that bears further exploration. 

I especially love all the sketchy and wandering discovery lines throughout the piece.  It's as if once you go into digital painting, particularly when you begin doing character airbrushing, you lose all of the discipline and excitement of "mark-making".  Drew Struzan is my hero in this regard.  His final pieces, as refined as they are, make excellent use of his skills as a draftsman.  Even as he layers airbrushed color, acrylic paint, and colored pencil, you never fully lose the gorgeous pencil marks that make up his underpainting.  

Let's see where this goes!  Hope you enjoy the ride too!

Thanks for reading, God bless!

Not Dispicable, But It Is Me...

Here's a quick black and white sketch / study for a self-portrait caricature.  Color version coming soon!

Say Broccoli!

This one was actually a lot of fun to draw.  Mrs. O has got one of the most unique facial structures I've drawn in a long time.  It was a challenge and a pleasure to draw.  Toughest part to capture?  That expression that looks like she just smelled a poot and is trying not to laugh.  And don't even act like you don't know what I'm talking about.  

The Mac Daddy

Thought I'd take a break from politics today and do a quick doodle of Mr. J.  He's an interesting guy with an interesting story.  I'm sure they'll make a "Social Network" style movie about him some day.  

After his death, it was disappointing for some who were so aware of his commercial success to find out about his personal shortcomings.  It's a reminder that not all great men are good and that not all good men are great.  A question of priorities faces us all as men regarding how we will spend our short time on earth and how we will at the end define our greatness.  

One of those days...

This was a lot of fun!  I've been trying very hard to get my speed up lately and wanted to see just how fast I could do a simple character illustration from a blank page to final.  So, I sat down this evening and finished this 2 hours later.  It's certainly not perfect, but it was a huge confidence builder to be able to start and finish something under such a crunch.  

Hope you all enjoy it! 

MLK Day

I didn't have today off, but I did take a few minutes over lunch to do a quick sketch of Dr. King.  It was an interesting challenge to start drawing a more diverse range of faces.

As I've been working though my class on schoolism.com on ZBrush, I've learned an incredible amount about the face and its structure.  Michael Defeo, the instructor, has been outstanding so far.  Just in the first week, I've learned so much about the face that this sketch took shape at least 50% faster than it would have prior to the class.  Wow.  It's nice to have a little "growth spurt" every once in a while.

Hope you all enjoy the drawing!

Until next time, God bless!

Got My Mitts On Some New Art

8 votes...WOW!

Not to Trump My Own Horn...

Donald in his ubiquitous "you're fired" expression.  My first real attempt at a new Photoshop painting technique.  Trying to figure out how long these would take on a more regular basis.  This one went MUCH faster than I anticipated - just over 4.5 hours total.  I imagine part of that is because of how distinctive his face is and partly because I had really good reference.  It really does make all the difference!

Enjoy and God bless!

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

Michele Bachman has some of the most piercing, intense eyes I've ever seen.  Hope I captured them in this piece as I work my way through the Republican candidates.  Have a happy week everyone!  God bless!

Retirement

This is part of what I hope to be a recurring theme on the blog...a "SKETCH OFF" between some buddies to stay inspired.  Back in a previous life, we were members of a site called "Drawergeeks".  The premise was to have a topic every two weeks at the end of which would feature a gallery of sketches and doodles from some really talented folks who'd been invited to participate.  Life, as is its way, took many of us in different directions, and the site eventually retired.  But I loved the idea of a broad topic with a tight time constraint.  

So, today's topic was "retirement".  We had to start and finish the sketch over our lunch break and have it posted before 1:30.  As my lunch break is now over, I present to you all my doodle.

God bless!
By the way...check out my friend, Nelson Gonzalez' piece here.

Merry Christmas!

Here's a poster I did for my church, First Baptist Orlando, for their "Singing Christmas Trees" program.  The concept was to have the "Grandpa" character telling his grandson about the true meaning of Christmas despite its getting crowded out with so many other things.  George Livings, who art directed the piece, wanted to integrate the cross amongst the chaos on the tree.  So after a few sketches, I settled on using garland and lights to incorporate the cross into the design.  

This was a TON of work, but seriously one of the most fun projects I've had the privilege to do.

Check us out at:

www.firstorlando.com

Twi-Hards Unite!

Yeah, I know, I won't even post the excuse that I watch these movies because of my wife because no one would believe me.  Also...it wouldn't be true, because I LOVE them.  They are the single most fun movies to watch in years.  Don't believe me?  If you've ever watched "Mystery Science Theatre 3000", then you know just how much fun it is to watch awful, terrible, and painful movies like "Twilight" with a lampooning backtrack and commentary.  

Is it mature?  No.

Is it hilarious?  Oh yes.

Enjoy this brooding lunch break doodle of Edward "Constipated" Cullen.

The Elder Statesman: Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney...enough said.

The Incomparable Paul Ryan

I think Paul Ryan should wear a lab coat and stethoscope when he speaks.  He has a unique, physician-like quality of concern and compassion as he explains the encroaching cancer of debt and spending.  It's a rare combination of seriousness and honesty that remind me of a veteran doctor's bedside manner.  Neither dire nor idealized, you get the feeling that he may be one of the few folks around that is actually calling it like he sees it.  We may disagree with the prognosis and of course, we are duty bound to confirm with a second opinion, but I find him to be a clear thinking, substantive person.  I'm keeping my eye on Mr. Ryan.

Wifey Pants :)

Is it a bad idea to draw a caricature of your wife?  Maybe not.  Is it a bad idea to do it twice?  We'll see, won't we?  Here's a doodle of the cutest thing in the history of adorability...my girl!

Krauthammer!

Droll, droopy eyed brilliance.  In respect to Mr. Krauthammer's terse brevity, I too shall be brief.  As a wise man once said, "brevity is the essence of wit".  And as my mother always said "don't wit your briefs".  More to come soon, friends!

O Face Pt 2...With Video!

Ok...

So, just another pre-work doodle to get the ol' muscles limbered up for a big day of well...not drawing. But, that's ok, it was still a great day.

I uploaded my process to youtube in case anyone is interested in seeing how a sketch like this takes shape. They're really rough of course, but hopefully it'll give you an idea of how I approach these types of things. Pretty much everything I do starts out scribbly then gets refined little by little.

You can't imagine how many years it's taken to get me to loosen up this much, but all I can say is that my art school teachers would be very proud.

(For those who know what I mean, I used nothing but a 2H pencil and plate bristol for my first 2 years of school).

Thanks, Mr. Drummond, for breaking me of that!

Enjoy everyone :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLYHaRgTnX0

The Axe Man Draweth

David Axelrod, top advisor to President Obama. A particularly unsavory and despicable fellow, but a lot of fun to draw! This guy would make a terrific Muppet. Although for accuracy's sake it would somehow have to talk out of its butt.

You've Got Red On You

So I saw this tshirt several years ago at the mall that had a stylized Shaun of the Dead character with the words "Zombie Killer" on it. I asked the guy where he had bought it and to my utter disappointment, it was from some private shop out in the UK. So, after scouring the internet for days after that, I gave up on ever having a cool shirt like that...until now.

So, I figured I'd just make my own...so I did...so there!

Enjoy my homage to a most entertaining movie.

Coworkercatures Take 2

Jon Pinto, the pencil portraited punching bag of this poignant post is a new coworker here at the office. And nothing says "welcome" like making fun of another person's physical appearance. So, Jon...welcome!

You can see some of Jon's work here. Be sure to check out his really cool "Dr. Who" series of illustrations!

By the way...yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is REAL pencil on this illustration. Don't get used to it ;)

Pelosi

Even she looks stunned that I drew her...

Newt!

I've been working with a new program called "Art Rage Pro 3.0" this week and it's been a BLAST! Some of the most convincing pencil textures and tools I've seen yet!

I decided to give it a spin this week during a lunch break doodle of Newt Gingrich. Enjoy!