Raleigh columnist publishes my caricature of him...

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While in Raleigh, NC, for the National Caricaturists Network convention two weeks ago, we drew several subjects for the Likeness Competition. This is usually held on the first night of the convention proper, and consists of all the competing artists (183 this year) drawing from projected slides. Volunteers hang the results on the walls, which are then voted upon. (Joe Bluhm was the winner this year for this category.)

Here we are, drawing away....I am in this picture, try to find me! :-)
Below is the hard part...voting!


One of the subjects, unbeknownst to us, was a local columnist who writes for the Triangle Bizjournal. Since he was doing a piece on our convention, he decided to use my drawing of him for his column instead of his usual photograph! It was published on Friday. My good friends Roger Hurtado and Sheina Thibeault were also pictured in the article, posing and caricaturing, respectively!

I'm very appreciative that Chris used my drawing, and that his staff made sure I was provided with the article. Oftentimes during events, my caricatures are photographed by various media and I never find out if/when/where they are used.

Bat Mitzvah

As it turned into an unusually frigid November evening, a lovely young lady and her family and friends (whom I had alot of fun drawing) celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. As usual at such events, the youngsters were all drawn first, then the adults got brave enough to try it!








Update 11/25/08: Received a nice email from the father of the bat mitzvah girl...
Hi Emily,
I just wanted to thank you again for the great job you did Saturday night at Alicia's Bat Mitzvah. I think everyone really enjoyed your caricatures. Thanks again and happy Thanksgiving!

First Communion party

On Saturday, I caricatured for the whole Judeo-Christian tradition...meaning I was booked in the afternoon at a First Holy Communion party, and in the evening at a Bat Mitzvah. Whatever persuasion people are, they love to celebrate their children's milestones...
Here are some snapshots from the Communion party. Lots of adorable little girls..

Digital Gift Caricature...for Bat Mitzvah

Here's a young lady whose bat mitzvah celebration this weekend will include my live caricatures.

Digital Gift Caricature...football coaches!

I used some of the things I learned in Court Jones' recent Photoshop seminar to create this group caricature, of some football coaches. The head coach has the football, naturally! It was commissioned by a parent and will be presented to them soon.

Christmas Craft Bazaar

Every year, I am part of a local church's huge Christmas craft bazaar. I missed it last year to go on a Carribean cruise. To my surprise, this lovely lady--my first customer, (who was waiting for me before I was even set up) told me that it was announced from the pulpit in church (!!) that I'd be back to caricature this year! Wow!!

Here's my setup. The lighting in their new cafeteria was much better than the lobby, where I used to be in previous years.



This man's wife brought him in specifically for a caricature, along with a rough sketch she'd done of "Rumpole of the Bailey" which she wanted included. I guessed (correctly)that he was an attorney!

Here's a little Eagles fan, spending the day with his grandpa, who got the caricature as a surprise for his daughter.

This freckled young man's friends found it funny that I replaced "Nike" with "Mike"!

Finally, my cute little nephew Jack, whom I did with airbrush.

Video from the NCN con

A fellow caricaturist, Brian Vasilik, of NC, made a video of some of the goings-on at last week's National Caricaturist Network convention...some of it was filmed at 4 am!!!
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Post-prom open house

Last night, I was part of a post-prom or post-grad party open house. Specially-invited parents and students could see and try all sorts of entertainments available for such parties: inflatables, card games, slots, tarot readings, games of skill, computer photo booths, video animation booths (the guests wear a special bib and they are filmed dancing on cute little bodies, to popular songs!) and my caricatures...
This should translate into even more bookings next spring, if I go by the guests' reactions!
My airbrush made its second appearance drawing clients since my month in Texas. I also drew my more usual artstix and marker caricature, and was busy most of the night.




One of the young men who was running the cartoon-dancing-animation booth came over to chat before it got busy, and told me it was his birthday. So I did an airbrush caricature, while telling him about the recent NCN convention. When I mentioned some of our big names (specifically Tom Richmond of MAD), he got up, went over to his bag, and pulled out the "Dork Knight' issue!!!!

Serendipity!

Steve Silver's Life Class

During last week's annual National Caricaturist Network convention, noted character designer/artist Steve Silver held a two-hour life drawing seminar. I had never done anything like this before (not having gone to art school) so it was a bit of a challenge for me. The model was a buxom young lady who was great at coming up with dynamic poses (in her Hooters uniform, no less). Steve directed her to hold poses in one-minute,then four minute increments, from which I was able to draw the turn-around shown above. Finally he posed her for one minute where we were to look at her without drawing, then recreate the pose after she stopped. That was the most difficult for me, as I am used to having a subject's face or body right within my line of vision as I am drawing them.
This was an enjoyable, valuable exercise for us all, designed to get us to be able to draw the human body from instinct. Some were able to caricature her body hilariously from the get-go, but I was aiming for just a decent likeness.
This is definitely something to pursue, in the future, whch will help improve my drawing skills.

Wedding--on a Monday!

A bride and groom decided to be different and hold their wedding on a beautiful autumn Monday. They delighted their guests ( the wedding party were all children :-) with both a caricaturist, (me) and a magician ( Eric Henning). Both the ceremony and the reception were held in a castle-like mansion on a hill. I drew in a solarium!






This lady sent me the link to her Myspace page, where her caricature now resides!



Congratulations and thanks, Cheryl and Rob!

Irish Festival

On the way home from the NCN con in Raleigh, Marlo and I stopped in Baltimore to draw at an Irish Festival!



I did some airbrushing...

...and Marlo did marker/artstix.
We've been invited back next year, when it falls on a different weekend than the con, thank goodness!
My fiance met us there and we went down a road few couples dare to do: dressing alike!!

NCN 2008 awards dinner

The National Caricaturists' Network's final convention (next year, we will become the International Society of Caricature Artists, a name which better reflects the scope of the organization now) culminated in an art auction/awards banquet. The auctioned art was previously done studio and/or published caricatures by the likes of Tom Richmond, our guest speaker Ismael Roldan, Court Jones, and new Golden Nosey winner, Jason Seiler.
Here are some of my treasured visual memories of the evening:

Myself and my dear friend Marlo, without whom I would not be where I am in life. I have learned so much from her, and enjoyed her company immensely, whether we are laughing at life (or annoyed by it).
Below are our tablemates...

Marlo,myself, Mike Giblin, Niall O'loughlin, and Adam English (singer/songwriter of wicked parodies for the caricaturist, who performed both at the opening icebreaker and at the awards dinner).

I am also indebted to this man, Court Jones. Between his online forum contests, his seminars at the convention, and just hanging out with him and his beautiful ladyfriend Debbo, I consider myself lucky!

I sat with these ladies during the day of the US election, when we learned Obama had won. :-) Johanna Veerhenhuis and I sculpted, and Emi Sato worked on emormous painted caricatures. Johanna took a very-well deserved 1st place in the 3D category with her exquisite sculpey rendition of Emi ( who is Jan Opdebeeck's new wife.)

Jeff Redford, from LA, is just a joy to be around. Although he did not sculpt anything this year, he always does the calligraphy on the award scrolls and shares his wit with with all in earshot. Below is the quick sketch I did of him:


This is one of the funniest people at the con or anywhere, Bob East. Marlo and I have sat with him at every Likeness competition for the last several years, and we are always in stitches. So this year, he was the subject of my first airbrush piece at a con.

This is John and Jill Sprague with another airbrush piece I did. I was planning on drawing them anyway, but when I found out it was their 6th anniversary, it was the icing on the hot pepper sauce...(!?)

I am never a popular subject to be drawn at cons, (neither is Court Jones) mostly because we have more subtle features. However, this year, I got two drawings. Paul McCall surprised me with an on-the-sly drawing of me with all my various media!!! I love it!

I also received this very cool watercolory-almost-abstract drawing from Karel Opdebeeck, of the very talented family of Jan Opdebeeck. Karel is his brother and he also brought his son Klaas ( Jan's nephew)... ( below)

...whom I airbrushed. Klaas received alot of caricatures!!!

Myself with Tom Richmond. Always a voice of merit and reason in the NCN, he had a great seminar on how to market caricatures in commercial art. He also has a lengthy post today on his own blog, which sums up better than I can, the importance of these caricaturist get-togethers.

Lifelong friendships are made at these conventions. Here are some new and old friends: Sean Gardener, his lady Sheina, and Silver Nosey winner Glenn Ferguson and his lady JoAnn.

This gentleman, Wade Collins, was at his first big convention, having attended a mini-con in 2006, where I met him. I was delighted to see he has come a long way since then!

Here are a bunch of crazy award winners: Nate Kapnicky, Brian Oakes (Bronze Nosey) and Andy Urzua!
Finally, my good friend ( and past Golden NOsey winner) Roger with a bunch of hot older ladies!!!