Avoiding art-caused carpal tunnel...

Every vocation on earth must have its inherent risks, and being an artist is no exception. In my case, beyond the mental ones (haha, more on that some other time) I find that I am prone to occasional wrist, shoulder and back pain, depending on what I'm doing. For live caricaturing, having my arm raised to draw on a French easel can bother my shoulder and mid-back if I do it for too long or too frequently. When I use my Wacom Intuos alot or am drawing flat, my wrist tends to bother me. However, thanks to my friend Nick, I found a little gizmo that helps! It's called a Dynaflex Pro, and it works by having a spinning internal gyro within a ball that you twist in your hand. I was a little skeptical when I tried it, but it really does make your wrist exercise in ways it normally cannot. And after you use it, your entire arm feels rejuvenated! ( well, mine does!)


Here's a little video of it in action:

Yeah, I went for the one with LED lights... :-)

Contest: Name that tune! I'll do a free digital line-drawing caricature of the first person who can tell me what song is playing in the background...

"My topic is...CARICATURES"

My college-freshman daughter currently has a public-speaking class called Human Communications. She had to give a five-minute talk this afternoon on any topic she wanted, without any electronic aid. (So no Powerpoint presentation!) She chose to discuss, to my surprise---caricatures! Armed with a quick drawing I'd done from a photo of her professor, and my copy of Joe Bluhm's book Rejects, she mentioned a little about the history of the craft, and touched on today's popular perception of retail/gig/editorial caricatures---and why we enjoy them. Her instructor commented that in many years of teaching, no one had ever chosen this as a topic!

Here's one college prof who certainly wasn't expecting a caricature today! :-)

Facebook avatars!

It's always fun to see new fans join my Caricatures by Emily page on Facebook. Often, they are people I have recently drawn at a gig. Yesterday, I checked out some new additions and one of them was the lady on the top left, whom I drew at one of the school events I did last week. . She and three other fans are currently using my live caricatures of them as their avatars!

And these are just the ones I know of... At some events, when I represent party planners or caricature artist agencies, I do not give out my own contact information, so the people I draw don't know about my personal website or FB page. I still hear lots of them saying "I'm gonna put this on my Facebook" :-)

Doodling the downtime away...

Before I got busy at the hockey tournament, I did some people-watching...and doodling. These unaware subjects stood still long enough for me to get a likeness...and I completed the shading at odd moments during the event.

8 1/2 x 11, HB pencil.

Internet Catch-22

Recently, I donated this original digital caricature of our U.S. Vice President to a charitable cause, the American Lung Association, to be auctioned off at a gala fundraiser (where I was hired to draw the guests, btw). This was accomplished, and it felt great to know that my contribution helped a little-bitty-bit. A copy was actually sent by the ALA to Joe Biden himself to sign, but hey--what with being second in charge after Obama, he's a busy guy. Maybe someday...
So I figured that was the end of the story, but my blog has led to another chapter.
A fellow member of ISCA and friend, Bob East, somehow found that my image was being used on a Balkan political cartoon website... and without my permission. This is the catch-22 of posting any original images/content on the internet...it is there for anyone to use however they want, despite the fact that all my posted art consists of small, lo-res images, and most are clearly marked with my website address. (That's another can of worms--the "Orphan Works Act"). This website's creator, to his credit, did not remove my website address from the painting and actually attributed it to me. And perhaps he would have sought my permission, but doesn't speak English.....so there is not really anything I can do. I've known of far worse instances of colleagues being ripped off; their work attributed to someone else, their work being used for someone else's financial gain, even used on foreign stamps, etc.
My blog serves a huge purpose in that it and my website generate interest in my work. Although I am passionate about caricature, I am also pragmatic about making a living from my passion. That means marketing and not hiding my lamp under a bushel.
So I will go on posting my work, but perhaps at smaller sizes.
Some artists feel it's a compliment when their work is used without permission, because someone likes the work enough to want it. I feel that, if someone likes it enough to use it for their own purposes, the artist should be compensated.

New medium/technique

My friend Marlo and I are serious art-supply-store shoppers. When I am in Philly, we make a habit of visiting the fabulous Dick Blick store there, which has ensnared us from our old haunt, Pearl's. Recently, she discovered an item that is a perfect addition to a live caricaturist's arsenal: panpastels. It's an improvement on the chalk-and-glove technique (mentioned a few posts ago) in that the pastels are in their own case, are low dust, and are applied swiftly with an applicator. I just ordered a set online and am now eagerly awaiting their arrival!!

Pee Wee's facial expressions...

including that one!...were always just one part of all the reasons why my children and I loved him as a character on the various shows and movies he did back in the Eighties. I drew this pencil/marker sketch of him some years back, and pulled it from one of my files to put it to a new use....uploading it to Paul Reubens' new Facebook page! I've never done anything like that before, so I hope he sees it and enjoys it.
I have not really thought of putting Facebook to use as a marketing tool, but perhaps I should. :-)
Otherwise, I have been busy with projects that don't bear posting on my blog yet.

My first Caricature Comic!

Click to see a larger version.

Now that it's been published in Exaggerated Features-The Caricaturist's Quarterly and is arriving in NCN members' mailboxes world-wide, I can post my first comic work! Done jointly with fellow artist and friend Celestia Ward, it depicts some of the funnier moments during our stint at the State Fair of Texas last fall.
We had a blast creating it in Photoshop from opposite ends of the country via the Internet (she lives in Sin City--Las Vegas). We brainstormed what each panel would be, and divvied them between us. She took on the actual writing in her usual wry voice. Then, I used my Wacom Intuos drawing tablet and she used her Cintiq to create all the images. So far, several of my artist colleagues have been correct about who drew what panel :-)
We plan to do more in some format, because this was fun!

For more about Celestia, visit www.2headsstudios.com

Trip down Memory Lane...circa 1995

While doing some last minute Christmas-dinner shopping with my daughter yesterday at a local farmer's market, we ran across some long-ago examples of my pre-caricature art life--a mural and some signs I did for a hamburger stand. It's been so long since I've seen these that I was almost startled when we walked past them! Madeline wasn't much more than a toddler at the time.
You can tell I had a lot more interest in doing the faces of the Amish family than in the background of the mural! Back then, I did not really know much about painting, especially broad expanses like skies or using perspective for a landscape. Today, I would do it much differently, but that's why seeing my old work is helpful--it reminds me where I started, and to be grateful that I've progressed.

Unseen projects....

After a warm and cozy holiday, I am back to my drawing board.
For the first time in awhile, I have several projects that can't shown on my blog...til they are delivered and/or published!
In the meantime,here is a snippet of my own personal Christmas card. It's a strange combination of hand-drawn airbrushed work, then finished in Photoshop. Happy December!

Raleigh columnist publishes my caricature of him...

Click to see larger image.

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.

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.

A master caricature artist now has a blog....

The amazing, wonderful and humble Jan Opdebeeck now has a blog!
I met Jan at my very first caricature convention in 2003; he was the guest speaker. Aside from being a phenomenal caricaturist, he is an approachable teacher and a gentleman.
These two pencil drawings were done by him in 2005, of myself and my fiance, and I treasure them..

Yet another caricaturist colleague...

I am working on several digital commissions this week that can't be shown yet, so here is another quick sketch of a fellow NCN member--Bertrand, from France. This is again done with the gray Pitt brush pens, and an additional light blue Prismacolor marker.

More Firing Squad colleagues...

I attempted a somewhat simpler style of sketch for these three artists...Dave, Pete,and Lou, with varying levels of exaggeration.

Another colleague...

This caricaturist lives in London, England, and I've actually met him at an NCN convention.
Congrats on the new baby, JP!

Caricaturist colleagues in pen & ink

On the NCN forum there is a thread, called the Firing Squad, where members can post photos and be caricatured by colleagues around the world. I have been drawn by various artists, and I have been meaning to draw them in return! Here are the first two gentlemen (one is from Belgium, the other from Florida)...done using Faber Castell's Pitt brush pens in various shades of gray. The 'Vanity Fair' title is there because the paper is left over from a long-ago gig!

Fair photos taken by roving photographer!

Oftentimes at events, we caricaturists are the subjects of the photographer's lenses. Just as often, we never see the results, even when business cards are exchanged. Well, that's changed, as roving photographer Jeff Chapman sent us the fruits of his labors from a night at the fair last week:


Hi Marlo and Emily,
It was fun meeting you Thursday night at the fair. Thank you for allowing me to intrude on your space to take photos. I had several to pick from but narrowed it down to one of each of you. I had a real tough time with Emily because I never managed to catch her face in the light and she was being flooded by a green light from behind us. I found black and white worked best. Please enjoy the two attached web resolution images.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff! Now we need a photo of you to reciprocate.
Here is a link to Jeff's online gallery, hope it stirs some interest in his work!

New option with my caricatures...

I've decided to offer an extra option with my caricatures: mats, for a higher hourly rate. They not only enhance and protect the drawing, but can also be customized as well. Now, where do I put them all before I use them--my little studio is getting so jammed!

Encounter with a Hirschfeld

Yesterday, some good friends and I (all artists) decided to visit the nearby Brandywine River Museum, which is famous for its large collection of Wyeth paintings (three generations worth--N.C, Andrew, and Jamie). Imagine our surprise when the first gallery we walked into, 'American Illustration', devoted one wall to Al Hirschfeld, David Levine, and Rube Goldberg! I am fairly sure I have never seen a Hirschfeld original that close up. It was a large pen & ink of the Odd Couple...but not the usual cast you'd think: it was Peter Ustinov and Boris Karloff. Of course, I could not take photos in the museum, so I'm posting below a similar version with Matthau and Carney. The 'Nina' that Hirschfeld inscribed on every drawing was there, and his lines had real texture and weight to them. They were not boringly perfect, but organically interesting. He definitely was the 'Line King'.

The Levine was a small cross-hatched drawing of General Custer, and the Goldberg was a pencil rendition of an outlandish contraption of some sort. But the jewel was that Hirschfeld, which was the highlight of my visit.