A few more ...

Here's a few more commissions - one UK bound !

Did a live gig for Perth City Council in Murray St Mall last night and have a 40th Birthday function tonight. A 4 hour corporate show in the CBD on Thursday and - would you believe - a baby shower next Sunday - Nola's already planning spending it all another cruise !!

Thick and fast .....................

I've hit a rich vein of subjects that were born to be caricatured - now as caricaturists go I'm pretty kind - I shudder to think what some of my colleagues would do with folders of photographs I currently have.

The clients wishes and, more importantly,  getting paid have a major controlling influence - sigh !

Few more rent payers .................

Here's a few more commissions ..... you may recognise a few of the faces from further down.

The Navy one was interesting to do - nice to have a different theme !

.. another ho hum job !!

I try and make a genuine effort to keep the old Blog populated with some recent stuff, but, of late it's all been fairly hum drum jobs. This one turned out well with limited input from the client - ' here's a couple of photo's, put him in a nice suit and a glass of red, oh and no background'.

They were really happy with it but you can't help feeling apprehensive when given no direction - been there before !

I want one of those Gillard Goose jobs ..........

A few more commissions ............

A few recent commissions - the faces anyway - just so the 'ol Blog doesn't rust up !!

All Photoshop - of course !!!

One for Queensland, one for New South Wales and the four good looking ones for West Australia - you can't work them out can you ?

Man Utd fan ..........

Here's a new commission I had to be sedated for !!

I can handle the Union Jack BUT Manchester United strips should incur a double fee penalty.

Can't stand the club or Chelsea or in fact any of the greedy big money clubs that have turned the EPL into, at most, a four horse race in the last ten years. Gee and we used to joke about the Scottish League !!

Soap box session over - quite enjoyed putting it together and the client was really happy.

Busy, busy ......

I've been steadily moving through commissions - here's a few samples - and I know the Aussie flag shouldn't be attached that side it just didn't look right blowing in reverse.

A 40th Birthday caricature, a 50th and a caricature to celebrate a cricketers 300 games !

Did a couple of 'live' shows in the last week - a wedding and a corporate function at the OLd Swan Brewery. A stunning location on the bank of the Swan River. Awaiting shots from the official photographer which I'll post here.

The weather has cooled and I'm going to have a break - 3 tonnes of limestone and a cement mixer beckon. After that I must finish my new website, play golf and maybe time for a celebrity caricature or two .......

More weddings ......

Just finished this one - with all the cropped / no background extras for wedding paraphernalia.

They loved it - I most admit wedding caricatures are heading for 50% of the business these days.

You've gotta luv 'em !!!

The final collage is a compilation of all the 'bits' on individual layers. For a wedding commission I supply, in addition to the main 'final' (either framed or made into an A2 guest signing board ), an image of the couple with no background for invites, thankyou notes and table signs. Two 'Facebook' avatars and often the artwork, with titling, for stubbie holders and what's been popular a sepia tone version for wine labels.

In this instance I also get a '59 Cadillac convertible for my clip art library !

( ... do that in acrylic .... :0) !!)

More commission work ....

Well 2010 is up and running and the jobs are trickling in, it's a bit slow, but that has it's blessings, I've caught up on a few of those things I wanted to do including some golf. Half way through doing a new website but it may be some time before I upload it. I just want it a bit slicker and quicker to load. I monitor the site and note quite a few leave the first page waiting for it to load - a big 'No,No' I'm told.

Some Christmas Commissions ...

Here's a quick collage of some completed Christmas commissions - twelve more to do and that's it - at this time of year drawing with both hands would be an asset - sadly the right one is for scratching with. The phone has not stopped and I really must resolve to be far more organised next year .... six more 'live' shows to do also - I seem to remember having a retirement party about three years ago !!!!

There is a reason for all this Nola has acquired a taste for cruising the Mediterranean so it's off we go again in 2010 - we all have our crosses to bear - looking forward to it.

This'll 'boar' you - sigh !!

Part of a commission I'm doing featuring a wild pig hunter and his five dogs - my attempt at a tasteful death scene !

If I had to do this to get my ham and bacon I'd become a Vegan - but then again 'No Bacon' !!!!

Sketched out using Sketchbook Pro - lovely software.

Ongoing commissions ...

Here's another collage of commissions, just gone or in the final stages of completion. The weather has picked up, spring is here, so a bit of golf is in the offing.

I've just flicked on Google Ads again so I expect the usual Christmas rush and - shock of shocks - I'm doing three 'live' shows this month. No undo button - strewth it's a worry !!

Commission pile !!!

At the moment I'm snowed under with commissions. I don't like the Blog to go too long without a post so here's a collage of current jobs. I have another 22 I haven't even started - I just counted them - strewth I must charge more !

Full up until at least mid September which is great. I can't sing the praises of Google AdWords enough I turned it off three weeks ago. Compared to all the other forms of advertising it, for me, is streets ahead. I'll be hard pushed to justify paying for Yellow Pages next year I really get so little from it. People don't look in phone books these days do they ?

Golf may suffer though !!

Ford Mustang Dragster !!

This is yet another vehicle caricature, but a fun one to do. This is the driver and engineer of a drag car race team, you'll note the drivers on the wrong side, no wonder those American car companies are going broke they've been building them back to front !!!

I've just lashed out buying Adobe Illustrator CS4 with the influx I've had of vehicle drawings. It makes a far superior job on producing cars, boats, trucks - all manner of mechanical devices. You can always bring it back into PS to put in all those little embellishments that finish off a job so well.

I paid the extra for the manual, as a former Freehand user, I'll need it.

Commission & Chris Wahl's Brushes !

Part of a new commission, a speedway driver, nothing particularly different about that, I do a lot of them. What is different is I used new brushes. I regularly check on the Blog's of fellow caricaturists and 'earwig' anything new.

Chris Wahl of Sydney posts some great stuff on his. He, very generously, put up some of his Photoshop brushes for download, and, I thought 'must try them !'

Well the above caricature was the result using Chris's 'paint texture 6' and 'Hair 1'. The hair brush in particular makes a lovely job.

If you're a Photoshopper they're HERE - enjoy !!

60th Birthday Commission .....

This is a 60th Birthday commission for a rock & roll fan who loves to barbecue.

Leather jacket and the tight jeans and Elvis pose.

Trying to keep pace with the productivity of Dominic Philibert's Blog - no chance whatsoever really !!

On the catwalk ....

Just finished this one, commissioned by the family, to celebrate her graduation as a fashion designer. Pleased how it turned out and enjoyed a nice play in Photoshop - too much hair though !

Scribble, scribble, scribble ......

No I haven't retired - been away for a short relaxing break in Busselton - great !

Here's some of the latest commissions just to stop the Blog healing up !!

More weddings .....

Here's another completed wedding commission, after many changes we have happy clients which is great.

Wedding dirt bikers .....

You've got to love wedding commissions lovely steady work and always a bit of a challenge.

Couple from NSW who wanted themselves posed on the groom's Yamaha.

I've just kicked off a couple of celebrity caricatures, I don't know how all the other guys have time to do those, I'm not going to sacrifice golf time for 'freebies' !!