60th Birthday Commission .....

A recently completed 60th Birthday Commission for a Perth Businessman with more than a passing interest in the 'Gee Gee's'

Brother's Collage

Away from Panoramas ( there's no money in them !) a recently completed collage of four brothers which they are presenting to their Mother.

....... and no fiddly bodies and the usual toys and artifacts !!

.... that's green !!

One more 'Pano' - I took this last weekend just South of Nannup on the Pemberton Road. I was confronted with this wall of green and had to take a shot. We've had some good rains in the Autumn and the 'Sunburnt Country' has taken on an Irish look. Colours are natural no 'twiddling' in Photoshop.

Nola and I had a wonderful relaxing weekend with friends at Donnelly River Mill - no TV, phones - and dramatic for me - computers !!

Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

This was a 'mega' shot which I should have had my tripod set up for - 10 photos and almost a complete circle. This is Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake in Tasmania. Stunning scenery.

These really don't work well in a Blog so I'm going to do a web page with them ( I opened my Panoramas folder and found I've got loads and many I haven't stitched yet and several VR walk throughs )

I'll post the link here.

Canal Rocks Panorama ....

This is a panorama taken 18 months ago of Canal Rocks near Yallingup in the South West of our State. Four photos stitched together for this one.

The flying librarian ..

A retirement caricature for a librarian who, to everyone's surprise, had kept her pilots licence a secret for many years !!!

Angie Jordan

This is my attempt at Philadelpia, USA based caricaturist Angie Jordan. A self confessed 'Ninny !' and a very good artist and fellow NCN member. 

Back into 'em .....

A few more commissions to keep us in firewood and food as winter approaches !!

The top one was put together with Comic Life software which is good for the strip cartoon style job. I must use it more - probably a good one for all the paraphernalia and sub plots that clients like in a caricature.

Brady's Lookout, Tasmania

A panorama I took four years ago in Tasmania. This is Brady's Outlook looking over the Tamar Valley just north of Launceston. Brady was a bushranger and sat here looking for likely victims travelling the road below.

Tasmania is a stunning island and we must go back there one day.

Beautful misty autumn morning

Nothing to do with caricatures - I went, with my wife Nola, for a morning walk through the forest near Darlington Winery. There was a lovely mist that had all lifted by 10.30am. Luckily I had my camera took four shots and stitched them in CS3 ( you've got to try Automate > Photomerge it certainly beats the software that comes with my Canon ). This huge granite outcrop looks, when the mist clears, across the Helena River Valley. Not a sound and only a short distance from a city of 1.2 million people. Makes us realise why we left suburbia - magic !

(The original is a huge file - click on this little 'un to make it a bit bigger )

This digital malarkey !!!

People often ask - 'how do you do this digital painting stuff ?'. 

Well where do you start, I follow a conventional path, I sketch the face out on paper, with a 'real'  pencil, scan in and paint usually all on one layer. My weapon of choice is Photoshop CS3, there is other software, some much, much cheaper, but, they always seem to have 'bits' missing.

Once I'm in Photoshop, that's where I stay from 'first brush stroke to print'. 

The lovely young lady above was a recent commission if you look closely you can see the strokes - I mainly use the dark and light pastel brushes, particularly to finish off, it gives a more chalky/grainy effect, more realistic. A lot of digital paintings I see have that highly glazed look - like china dolls. I spend ages with a small chalky brush 'finishing' off - if anything I need someone else to walk in and say ' Oi, it's done - PRINT IT !!!'

The top picture is one I'm working on at the moment, for yet another 50th birthday, you can see I started from the jaw working my way up, big brushes to start with small, ones to finish.

I really love doing the faces, the little bodies and accessories are something the clients want and really irritate me. I often have three or four finished faces and avoid adding the rest until I feel like it. A body bottleneck. 

I've just got a commission for four faces, yep just the faces, and 'make 'em ugly' they say - now that's a real job.

Elvis lives ....

Exactly how many people were born in 1958 ? It has been nothing but 50th Birthdays this year, I'm worried there will be a downturn for next year ....... an Elvis loving Footy fan.

... yet another wedding

Hey I know you've seen this pose and theme before - but - it's popular and clients love it right down to the footy sock down the front of the lycra suit !!!  A lovely couple that have married as they both head into retirement.

Kamal Dollah

My take on Singaporean caricaturist and fellow NCN member Kamal Dollah.

.... and above is Kamal's response. He obviously slipped, or had a computer glitch, as he hasn't quite got my 'six pack' right. Thanks mate.

Steve Ballmer uses .......

This made me smile, it may have been Photoshopped,  though there are other photos from the same meeting that seem to confirm its credibility. Let's face it if you're going to do a good presentation you would have to use Apple Keynote not Powerpoint.

There is of course the remote possibility that the Mac is running Vista ....... 

Here's the link 

Golfers 50th

I've had some fun now back to my 'bread & butter' work - a caricature of a golfer paid for by friends for his 50th birthday. These are popular and look great framed up behind the bar.

Torkan's Dad

Roger Fletcher is the creator of the syndicated cartoon series Torkan, a fellow member of the Australian Cartoonist's association and above all a bloody nice bloke. Promised to do one for him long ago - can't remember why now !

'Beast'

Another 'warm up', Bob East - known as 'Beast' a caricature artist from the US of A.

Coogy !!

Irish caricaturist Ken Coogan is my latest victim - gee 'I'm in the zone' at the moment.

Next on the list is my mate Roger Fletcher the artist behind Torkan every week in the Sunday Times here in Perth.

Bob & Doogle

Just having a bit of a 'workout' on a couple of faces of fellow NCN members Bob Bischoff and Doogle. Both from the US of A - Doogle's the one without the beard !