mike giblin art blog

FINAL BLOGGER POST!

2011-11-19T12:55:00.005Z

I'm actually a day late on this, the anniversary of my blog was in fact yesterday. Pesky last-minute commissions! But whatever, I just wanted to thank everybody again for their interest, kind words and support over the last five years. I wouldn't rule out a return to blogging at some point in the future (not on this site though), in the meantime you can folllow what I'm up to at http://www.mikegiblinillustration.com/ and http://www.mikegiblinlive.com/. I'll be updating regularly.

I'll sign off with a sketch completed this week of Ashes to Ashes actor Philip Glenister, in the legendary role of DCI Gene Hunt. This was done for my good pal Justin, and I think I actually prefer the original sketch to the coloured version. I'll let you guys decide.

Adios for now amigos, see you round!

HOT OFF THE DRAWING BOARD...

2011-11-09T15:51:00.000Z

...in order, a couple of snaps I took at a corporate event on Monday (where I was only able to grab these shots as they were all displayed together late on; I'm always too busy during the set itself), some animation component drawings for Bonnier Publishing, a commissioned illustration of the cast of Frasier, commissioned illustration of Green Day (band by me; hot chick & background by Neil Davies - on whom this design is likely to appear in tattoo form at some point), and a few observations from my sketchbook. Enjoy!

ANNOUNCEMENT / ARTWORK GIVEAWAY

2011-10-31T12:26:00.009Z

Long-time visitors to the blog will know I'm not the world's best at posting regularly, and in fact my entries have been few and far between for some time now. I'm not going to pretend it's a 'lack of time' issue (two of the busiest artists I know, Tom Richmond and Kenny Durkin, seem to find time to post daily despite their insane schedules), but more to do with the fact that my priorities have shifted slightly, and making regular blog entries no longer holds the appeal it once did.

So, I've reached a decision. On 18th November it'll be five years exactly since I made my first post, and so on that date I've decided to call it quits, and stop posting here altogether. I'm not going to delete the blog, but let it stand as a kind of time capsule, a record of what I was up to artistically during that five year period.

Before I go, I'd like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all those who have followed and supported me through the blog, and show my gratitude by announcing a free giveaway:

THE FIRST THREE PEOPLE TO EMAIL ME AT MIKEGIBLIN77@HOTMAIL.COM AND MENTION THIS POST WILL RECEIVE A FREE CARICATURE ILLUSTRATION!

< EDIT: THE FREE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED, WELL DONE NEIL DAVIES, KEELAN PARHAM, AND DAN JOHNSON FOR HAVING THE QUICKEST TRIGGER FINGERS! APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO MISSED OUT! >

The illustration may be one person only, and will be created in my usual style of traditional inked linework followed by Photoshop colour/shading. Photo reference to be supplied by yourself (unless subject is a celebrity), artwork will be emailed as a digital file for personal use only.

I will announce the winners and display the artwork on 18th November, making that my last-ever post.

So thanks again everyone, and get emailin'! If you'd like to see galleries of my work you can do so at my all-new web portfolios, www.mikegiblinillustration.com and www.mikegiblinlive.com. You can also follow me on Twitter. Cheers!

WOGAN

2011-09-14T10:16:00.003Z

Sketch of the twinkly Irish star of TV & radio.

SPIDEY SKETCH

2011-09-07T12:41:00.002Z

...or rather, actor Andrew Garfield as the latest big-screen incarnation of Ol' Webhead.

RECENT ARTWORK

2011-09-05T16:35:00.007Z

It's been something of a lean month in terms of posting, so here's a stack of stuff I've been working on over the last few weeks. (This post's for you, Jane Purves!!)

The following is a selection of art from an ongoing corporate project, apologies if there are a few bits and pieces you've seen before:

My take on terrific character actor John C Reilly...

...and finally, owner of the finest hairdo in television, Paulie Walnuts of 'Sopranos' fame. Try mixing' the ketchup wit' the relish!

TEAM ILLUSTRATIONS

2011-08-11T10:49:00.003Z

These illustrations were commissioned by a client I worked with earlier in the year, they're to be printed on team t-shirts for an upcoming Dodgeball tournament. The turnaround time was tight: both artworks had to be completed from start to finish in around 22 hours or so, and that includes a couple of rounds of emailed sketches. After a long night (and a gallon of Nescafé) I was able to get them across to the client with time to spare. All in a day's work for a busy freelancer!

GREAT FEEDBACK

2011-08-08T12:25:00.006Z

I received the following email over the weekend:

Hi Mike

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for Friday night!! Michael and I are over the moon with how well the caricatures went down, I think they are on most people's facebook profile pictures at the moment and I've already had loads of people asking me for your details (I figured it was ok to give them out!).

You really made the night and I think out of everything it was the best money we spent (ok maybe other than my dress haha). I didn't really think about it before and just figured the caricatures would give people a good laugh but it also enabled couples who didn't really know anyone else at the wedding to start talking to other guests, while watching and laughing the 'victims' being sketched.

Thank you soooooo much.

Lucy & Michael Garside

This kind of thing really makes my day. Happy you're happy, guys!

NICK HEWER SKETCH

2011-07-07T15:39:00.002Z

I love The Apprentice. This guy cracks me up.

MORE LIVE CARICATURES

2011-06-07T08:11:00.003Z

Being in the thick of summer live caricature season right now, here's two fun couples from a Durham University event at the weekend.

This first snap is a prime example of "...why'd he draw the guy like that?", referring of course to the extremely angled nacho-chin. And I can readily admit that based on the photo, it's not immediately apparent why I've made that choice. All I can say is, when I make my choices as to how I'll 'design' a face (which happens within seconds of the subject sitting down), certain aspects will reveal themselves as fun, obvious things to exaggerate - and I know the silliness will get a big laugh from the crowd. In this case, my first impression of the guy was that much of his facial 'length' occurred in the lower jaw, and that's what I went with.

...and the pic below is one of those classic occasions where the posed post-caricature snap doesn't do justice to how a person was whilst in the hot seat. This guy was a hoot throughout, and I felt safe pushing the sketch into goofier territory as a result. Thanks for letting me post, everyone!

LIVE CARICATURE SLIDESHOW

2011-06-01T14:03:00.006Z

A further bunch of stills from Kim & Steven's wedding (you'll recognise many people from the video clips I posted a couple of days ago), along with an additional weekend snap. Everyone really seemed to get a blast out of being caricatured, and I'm delighted I can display the results here. Thanks a million, all!

LIVE CARICATURE VIDEOS!

2011-05-30T19:18:00.009Z

It's often tricky to get across the fun to be had with event caricatures by photos alone; and for a while now I've been intending to capture some new footage of my live performance. The following clips were kindly filmed by my good pal Pete at the wedding of Kim & Steven at Wynyard Hall this weekend - and are fully indicative of what to expect when you book me for your event. One thing that surprised me (apart from my twitchy hand - which continues to freak me out!), is just how quickly I'm drawing: averaging around six or seven minutes for a double caricature. I'd always assumed my hourly average to be around 12 guests - and have advertised myself as such for some time - but evidently I'm a lot faster than I thought!

So anyway, here they are for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully there'll be more to follow before too long.

...and once again, a massive THANK YOU to both Kim & Steven for allowing me to film, and Pete for hitting it out of the park on the Sony. Cheers Beanz!!

SADDAM CARICATURE

2011-05-11T13:17:00.004Z

In case anyone's wondering, these latest sketches are for the Celebrity Galleries on the About Faces caricaturist website. I've been meaning to get the whole set completed for god knows how long, and have finally found a bit of time in my schedule. Not sure as yet whether I'll finish them up by hand or digitally.

ELVIS CARICATURE

2011-05-11T07:52:00.006Z

...'68 comeback special version. As far as I'm concerned, when The King was absolutely at the peak of his cool.

JACK SKETCH

2011-05-10T16:49:00.003Z

CORNUCOPIA OF SWAG

2011-05-05T11:52:00.004Z

In order: a hand drawn wedding gift commission, some sketchbook randoms, a couple of recent digital commissions, and lastly a couple of live pics taken at the wedding of Helen & Mark at Wynyard Hall on Sunday past. Special thanks to Karen McGowran, who graciously allowed me to use her images on my blog. One of the best photographers I've encountered in a long time, you can check out Karen's awesome portfolio here.

Apologies everyone for my slightly creepy snarl/smile in the following photo:

I received the following feedback from Helen, the bride, a couple of days after the wedding:

Hi Mike,

I just wanted to send a quick message to thank you for Sunday evening. You did such a brilliant job, and really helped to make my wedding day extra special. Our guests absolutely loved your drawings and we are still laughing about some of them now! I really appreciate the time you spent with everyone and your friendly, relaxed attitude was fabulous – once again, many thanks to you.

Best wishes, Helen.

ROYAL WEDDING FEVER!!!

2011-04-28T13:40:00.003Z

To commemorate tomorrow's patriotic hullabaloo here's a re-post of my Wills n' Kate caricature I put up a few weeks ago. The eagle-eyed will notice that in addition to some ceremonial background bunting I've totally redrawn Kate's face; the old version never really sat right with me, and I'm much happier with this version.

Anyway have a great Bank Holiday weekend everyone, I promise some all-new stuff is on the way over the coming few weeks!

...P.S. Completely off-topic, but anyone read 'Scar Tissue' by Anthony Kiedis? AWESOME book.

GIFT CARICATURE

2011-04-10T11:05:00.004Z

Something I rustled up for a couple of good friends last week. Lot of fun.

SKETCHBOOK PAGES

2011-03-30T15:06:00.002Z

...Clue's in the title. Various doodles from the last couple of weeks.

COMMISSIONED 90S ILLUSTRATIONS

2011-03-30T12:32:00.002Z

A couple of weeks ago I posted a 'sneak preview' of the following illustrations, as the client hadn't yet unveiled them to the public. A little background: Retro is a bar nightclub in Cardiff, Wales that specialises in 90s music (a period close to my own heart, having enjoyed many trials & tribulations as a young pup in said decade), and the management had the idea of displaying large murals of famous icons to add a fun element to the venue's walls. So after several ideas were discussed, the final plan was arrived at: the first illustration would be a logo-style montage of Britney Spears, M People's Heather Small, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Prodigy's Keith Flint, and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher. The second illustration would be a straightforward depiction of the Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell in her famous 'Cool Britannia' pose. The Girl Power slogan was something I added quite late in the project as a fun backdrop. Here they are in their entirety, followed by a few snaps of them in display in the club:

WILLS & KATE

2011-03-24T19:30:00.005Z

In the spirit of all things patriotic here's a caricature of the nation's royal sweethearts, all set to tie the knot in a few weeks' time:

LIVE CARICATURES

2011-03-18T10:55:00.014Z

Here's a selection of snaps taken at a 20th Wedding Anniversary party last weekend. A really fun crowd, and some great characters! As always, each person took an average of five minutes to complete, with 40+ guests drawn over a three hour period. My tools of choice are Dixon Markettes, Copic 'Ciao' brush pens, Staples chisel tip markers, and a little Promarker Warm Grey#3.

Incidentally, apologies for those whose snap was taken but has failed to materialise here; my camera is somewhat temperamental and the quality of some of the images wasn't quite up to scratch. And as always, heartfelt thanks to The Lovely Lynsey for her sterling camera work despite the limitations of my dodgy technology. You're the best!

...one last thing, which readers may be able to help with: I've recently joined Facebook, and would like to import my blog so that posts show up on my FB wall. However all I keep getting is 'Import Failed' as though it doesn't recognise the blog URL. Any ideas?

Here's a good shot of the undersketch I draw before inking. I always like to whack in some basic compositional shapes at the start, and in fact leave most of it intact. I quite like the fact you can see the 'bones' and structure of the drawing beneath the penwork:

ASSORTED SCRAPS

2011-03-03T12:31:00.002Z

A caricature sketch of Macca that I scanned in and gave a lick of paint in Photoshop this morning, a corporate commission from photos, and something I've never done before: a sneak preview of two illustrations I've been working on recently. With any luck I'll get the OK from the client within a couple of days, and I'll be able to display the full versions here. Enjoy!

CELEBRITY SKETCHES

2011-02-18T13:40:00.004Z

A couple of caricature studies drawn from magazines: Star Trek (and soon to be Judge Dredd) star Karl Urban, and Brit tottie Cheryl Cole's alleged squeeze Derek Hough.

FROM THE ARCHIVE!

2011-02-09T12:48:00.014Z

Rummaging through my attic this morning I stumbled upon a stash of old artwork dating back to around the 2000/2001 mark, when I was still at university and very much taking Bambi-like steps into the worlds of caricature & illustration. (It would be the summer of 2002 before I took the plunge and started working full-time as an artist.) The quality is decidedly mixed; however I think most of the likenesses hold up, and I always find it rewarding to look back on old art as a reminder of where I've come from and where the future might take me.

The following are a mix of portfolio pieces, personal art, and artwork created for magazine use (more info on that below):

Actor Rhys Ifans. At the time I seem to recall there were a lot of rumours about him starring as Shaggy in the Scooby Doo movie. Evidently none of them were true.

(Yes, that is old-school coloured transfer lettering you can see at the bottom of the Austin Powers montage. How times change...)

Depiction of the Austrian Oak jumping ship on his 'other' franchise.

Nice caricature. Hideous background characters...

The above was one of a series of caricatures I did depicting celebrities in their previous jobs. According to myth, Noel & Liam Gallagher had both been bricklayers at some point.

For a while at the turn of the millennium I undertook a handful of caricature illustrations for UK movie magazine 'Flicks' (which later disappeared altogether, not sure if I played a part in its downfall). It seems crazy now to think that the whole procedure of rough comps, finals etc was played out via telephone and fax, as I didn't have a home computer for another couple of years. Evidently the team at Flicks had it on good authority that 2001 was going to see Men in Black 2 (nope, the year after), Spider-Man featuring John Malkovich as the Green Goblin (2002 again, and with Willem Dafoe in the role), and bizarrely, Brad Pitt as Batman. Not sure if those lips would have worked in the mask, but hey - it worked for Val Kilmer!

Long before the celebrated TV relaunch, those in the frame for a big-screen Doctor Who included Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Richard E. Grant:

Lastly - and most weirdly - frontrunners for the 'Cat in the Hat' movie allegedly included David Thewlis, Steve Buscemi, Matt Lillard, and... Jay Kay from Jamiroquai?? (Some mistake, surely!) For some reason the only reference I could find for that guy were tiny, postage stamp-sized images - and so I had to pretty much rely on memory for the likeness. This is the reason he's pushed to the back slightly. Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!

UPDATE!

2011-02-02T01:09:00.005Z

Some recent stuff: several digital caricatures (as part of an ongoing corporate project), a couple of sketchbook pages, and a recently completed gift illustration. I've also got some pretty exciting stuff coming up in the next few months, so -in the words of Marvin Berry (of Back to the Future fame)- don't nobody go nowhere!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-13T11:36:00.007Z

...a little belated, but sincere nonetheless! Let's get things kicked off with a sketch of Scots warbler Susan Boyle, taken from the pages of my sketchbook. (Note: while I'm happy with SuBo's overall likeness, her hand is blatantly pretty rushed and amateurish; and it's painfully apparent that in 2011 I need a LOT more practice at drawing mitts of all shapes, sizes and gestures.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!!

2010-12-22T14:47:00.007Z

This is my last post of the year, may I wish ALL my blog readers a very enjoyable festive season and much happiness and prosperity in 2011. To cap things off, here's a smattering of recently completed artwork:

This couple I met at a wedding were a lot of fun, and killed themselves laughing at their caricature. It's worth pointing out that in this case I probably went a little further than I normally would have, but after gauging the couple's personalities I thought they'd appreciate the humour and exaggeration. (I was right.) Thank you guys!

The piece above was commissioned by a big fan of classic Hollywood starlets Joan Crawford, Diana Dors, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis - and wanted to appear alongside his heroines as they appeared in specific roles. Fun job!

Every year I create Christmas cards for both my parents, but also me & my girlfriend (you can see last year's efforts here). This time around I really wanted to keep the designs simple and cartoony - and in the case of my folks, have a little fun with their characters & personality. Happy Holidays, everyone!

...LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

2010-11-29T11:24:00.007Z

I love snow. There, I said it. Maybe it's because I have a somewhat irregular job that as a rule, doesn't require me to budge far from the comfort of my nice warm studio; and so I have the luxury of still viewing winter in a slightly immature, childlike way. Here's a few snaps I took from my window this morning, my street buried beneath a marshmallowy blanket of Hoth-ness:

What the hell, here's a live caricature from the weekend to keep things arty:

NEW BUSINESS CARD!

2010-11-18T14:33:00.004Z

I've had numerous business cards over the years, from busy designs containing 'hilarious' self-caricatures to extremely minimalistic efforts. I've even tried to cram entire galleries of work onto these little 85x55mm rascals. Though they all did the job of communicating my details, I was never particularly happy with the look of any of them.

With this new card I finally feel content that I've created an appealing, eyecatching bit of promo which not only ties in nicely with my web presence, but simply & effectively says everything I want it to. I had them printed up by UK firm goodprint.co.uk, and I couldn't be happier with the results.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

2010-11-17T11:03:00.002Z

A quick warm-up sketch. I'll get round to the other four Take That members at some point, but for now the manic stare of the rejoined golden boy was too much fun to resist...

MORE SKETCHES

2010-11-11T10:51:00.003Z

AWESOME FEEDBACK!

2010-11-10T09:50:00.004Z

I received the following email a couple of days ago. In reality, I'm usually so 'in the zone' whilst caricaturing at events that I'm not able to fully appreciate the crowd's reaction, or what kind of impact I'm having on the evening. It's always so nice to learn first-hand how much enjoyment I've created for someone.

Hi Mike,

Just felt that I wanted to say thank you for making my night, last night, at the wedding in Sedgefield. I was the fat bloke with glasses and a goatee with a missus with "wild" hair near the end. I was a one time graphic artist and my bro' is a comic artist (or was till he became a vicar) so can fully understand the difficulty and the quality of your work. I was absolutely blown away and even my hard to please son, who you did before us, became a fan.

I will sing your praises far and wide and throw your name in the hat whenever I have the opportunity. I wish you luck and success for the future and again thank you for making the night for a reluctant wedding guest.

Cheers John Anderson.

CORPORATE CARICATURES

2010-11-09T11:44:00.007Z

These were created as part of an ongoing website redesign project, to form the basis of employee profiles. It was requested they be very simple in nature, with a somewhat graphic approach to the colouring. Fun job. (Photo reference below.)

Sketchbook Stuff

2010-11-02T12:38:00.003Z

In my day to day life as an artist I'll occasionally lose focus on where my true passion & enjoyment lie, and feel slightly jaded as a result. The answer is nearly always to immerse myself in the work of my favourite artists, where I find myself reinvigorated and motivated to hit the drawing board once again. This was the case recently, and by reacquainting myself with the awesome art of Pete Emslie I was able to rediscover my love of simplicity and appealing forms in my caricatures. (That's the idea, anyway.) Cheers Pete!

RUSSELL BRAND SKETCH

2010-10-21T10:10:00.002Z

Unfortunately these for-fun doodles are few and far between these days. Gotta fix that...

MORE LIVE PICS!

2010-10-18T10:24:00.003Z

...from a promotional event at Newcastle University on Friday. (Blue tinged, numb-with-autumnal-chill artist's hands just out of shot. Brrr!!!)

ARTWORK DUMP!

2010-10-08T10:53:00.006Z

A bunch of stuff from the last couple of weeks. Apologies for the quality of these live caricatures by the way - I'm still trying to get my head around my new BlackBerry!

We came, we saw... we kicked its ASS!!!

2010-09-20T14:48:00.008Z

...or at least gave it a light cuff around the earhole. The 30th Great North Run came and went yesterday, and a great time was had by all. I ran the 13.1 miles in a personal best of 2:24'20", beating my previous time by over three minutes. Not an enormous leap in the scheme of things, but I was happy to have picked up my heels a little. And I definitely handled some of the more punishing stretches a little easier this time around, thanks to some of the Chi Running techniques I've been practising for a while.

I'd also like to give an ENORMOUS thanks to everyone who sponsored me for the run, from friends, family & colleagues to all those who kindly donated at my live caricature gigs. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. I'm happy to confirm that the total raised of £398.00 exceeds my target amount considerably, and will go a long way to helping Guide Dogs continue their excellent work in the future. And don't forget that my JustGiving page is open for a further three months if anybody would like to make a belated donation!

...one last thing: massive thanks to my awesome partner in crime The Lovely Lynsey. Couldn't have done it without ya sweetheart, love you loads xxxx

The Three Musketeers, from L-R: Al Duff, Me, Pete Allan. (Pete's doing amazingly well to maintain the cheesy grin here, his calves were in tatters after the first two miles or so. Way to go, Sebbie!)

THE WEE PUPPIES NEED YOUR HELP!

2010-09-17T12:02:00.010Z

It's that time again: this Sunday I'll be participating in the 30th Great North Run in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Assocation. During my last fundraiser effort in 2009 I succeeded in raising £300.00+ for this very worthy cause, and am well on course to exceed this in 2010. I now need just one last push to reach my target amount. If you feel you can spare a little cash (no gesture's too small) then please visit my JustGiving page where you can make a donation quickly & easily.

If you'd like more information on Guide Dogs for the Blind you can visit their site here. Thank you, and I hope you continue enjoying my blog!

ON THE SKIDS!

2010-09-13T09:02:00.003Z

With most group illustrations I undertake, it's more common to be provided with reference photos of real people that need to be caricatured. This job differed from the norm in that only the main guy had to be recognisable, the rest of the crowd could be made up of more generic characters. Nevertheless in this situation I still want to make it look like those additional people could exist, and bring some uniqueness & life to each. It's for this reason that I'll gather a stack of reference expressions, poses etc before getting work underway. I might also throw in some sketches I've had lying around to fill out the crowd - hence the slighly familiar-looking guys at back right, which were included in the pencils version before I inked the entire art.

The artwork is to accompany a best man's speech, to be blown up and displayed to illustrate the amusing narrative. A fun job to be sure, and one where I definitely learned some valuable lessons.

COMMISSIONS, COMMISSIONS, COMMISSIONS!

2010-08-20T07:19:00.002Z

COMMISSIONED CARICATURES

2010-08-09T23:58:00.006Z

...alongside their original reference photos. The illustrations are ultimately going to be printed on chef's whites for a charity BBQ. Gag is, the two guys are handling the food preparation whereas their pal is something of a novice in the kitchen and thus, is relegated to condiment duties. Fun job!

WAYNE SAVAGE ILLUSTRATION

2010-07-27T11:42:00.006Z

I was recently commissioned by UK artist Wayne Savage to create an illustration of himself in a similar vein to Tom Richmond's self caricature. I've been a big fan of Tom's art for many years, and so it was a challenge to both pay homage to the great man himself, and add my own stamp to the artwork. I think I was fairly successful, and Wayne himself seemed to think so too:

...Just got home and REALLY pleased to receive your email! All I can say is WOW!... It looks absolutely fantastic mate, thank you SO much! I am over the moon. No tweaks needed, its perfect!

Thanks so much again Mike, I am made up!!!!!!

I'M BACK! (again...)

2010-07-16T10:25:00.004Z

Firstly, apologies for my absence from this blog recently; after being out of town on a super relaxing holiday in Cyprus with The Lovely Lynsey, my PC decided to kick the bucket big style on my return. As a result I'm now trying to get to grips with Windows 7 (and an assortment of upgraded software packages), struggling valiantly with a blatantly non-compatible scanner, while trying to get several commissions completed on schedule. Intense times!

So please bear with me, in the meantime here's a sketch of rubberfaced comedy genius Rowan Atkinson.

I'M AWAY!

2010-06-27T07:31:00.002Z

Just a quick post to let everyone (specifically, any potential clients or those with an urgent enquiry) that I'm going to be overseas with no internet access from today until Monday 12th July. For some reason the Vacation Reply function on my email is acting up, and so if I don't reply right away that's the reason. If you'd like to see galleries of my artwork you can do so at the usual address!

...and I should also point out that I still have a number of 2010 dates available if anyone's interested in live caricature entertainment.

See you all soon, Mike.

WEEKEND CARICATURES

2010-06-15T13:38:00.001Z

I was on my own for this weekend's four gigs (resident cameraperson The Lovely Lynsey was attending a hen party), hence only one liveimage to share. Nevertheless I was pretty happy with it.

GIFT COMMISSION FEEDBACK

2010-05-31T13:55:00.006Z

I received a nice bit of feedback a few days ago, from a lady who had commissioned me to create a caricature of her kids in 'classic' Star Wars pose (ie the best ones). Apparently the entire family are huge fans of the original saga. Great taste! And a really fun assignment to boot!

And here's Isabelle & Alfie with their caricature. Hope you enjoy it, guys!

LIVE CARICATURES

2010-05-31T13:22:00.004Z

A couple of forgotten snaps from a booking I attended earlier in the year, and the others from the wedding reception of Jonathan & Karina, two friends who tied the knot on Saturday. Congratulations guys!

CHARACTER DESIGN WORK

2010-05-25T17:09:00.003Z

Later this summer I'll be exhibiting a selection of my character design work as part of the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Colin Knight, a good friend of mine, will be showcasing 6 artists in his city centre gallery, each with their own individual speciality. Last year focused on digital caricatures and was a huge success, I'm delighted to have been asked to participate again. A link to the site can be found here, and should be fully active in a week or two.

Here is a selection of the artwork I've submitted as part of my portfolio. You'll notice each is based on existing movie/TV characters; perhaps it's a side effect from years of caricaturing, but I always prefer to develop a character with a definite person in mind, even if I'm doodling in my sketchbook. I certainly find it more fun that way. The eagle-eyed may recognise the Golden Girls & Two And a Half Men pieces, which I've dragged out of retirement for a 2010 makeover!

NEW WEBSITE!!

2010-03-29T13:39:00.013Z

For a long time my online presence has been limited to this blog and my online portfolio. While both have been adequate for my needs in the past, it's with great pleasure that I can announce the arrival of the new mikegiblinstudios.com, which has been designed & built for me by the awesome Greg Halbert, a fantastic Minnesota-based artist & web designer whom I've met in the past at the ISCA conventions. And I have to say, I'm thrilled with the results. More important to me than tricksy bells & whistles was solid functionality, and a platform where my artwork can speak for itself in unfussy surroundings. Greg met my expectations, and far surpassed them.

So head over there, have a mooch around, and let me know what you think! I'd also urge anyone thinking of having a website designed to check out Greg's site. in the meantime here's a caricature of Greg, his lovely wife Katie, and their faithful hound Aspen, which I did as a thank you for such an awesome job. Cheers buddy!

FUN TIMES!

2010-03-07T13:14:00.010Z

Just returned from London, where on Friday me & Lynz appeared in the audience of the popular
Ch5 morning show 'The Wright Stuff'. I saw it as an ideal opportunity to knock up some caricatures of not only the main man, but also his guest presenters and production team. So, clockwise from top left: Matthew, TV presenter/author Nadia Sawalha, TV presenter-turned-DJ Terry Christian (anyone in their late teens in the mid-nineties may remember him fronting the essential -and usually chaotic- post-pub viewing that was The Word), journalist & author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, resident 'booth girl' Kirsty, and 'Man with the Mic' Eric Johnson.

The celebs with their caricatures:

Everyone seemed thrilled, with the possible exception of Matthew who expressed little but mild bemusement after I captured his crinkly charm. (I've since learned he loved it, but it's always interesting to see the variant reactions from people seeing themselves in exaggerated form.) Here's a larger version of Matthew's caricature:

CARICATURE SKETCH

2010-02-19T18:21:00.002Z

A quick pencil study before the weekend: Premiership footballer Wayne Rooney and his good lady Colleen. Enjoy!

LIVE CARICATURE

2010-02-15T14:51:00.006Z

Entertainment bookings are always fairly thin on the ground at this time of year, nevertheless here is a snap of two fun girls taken by The Lovely Lynsey at a wedding in Guisborough (near Whitby, for all you Dracula fans out there) last night.

LAROUX SKETCH

2010-02-12T19:17:00.004Z

There's no denying the bequiffed princess of electropop is a peculiar sort, all icy detachment and alien-esque features. She's got some cool tunes though.

COMMISSIONS

2010-02-12T11:06:00.003Z

...for the same client. One a straightforward caricature, and the other a Beatles-inspired piece more cartoony in style.

CAMERON DIAZ

2010-02-11T17:01:00.003Z

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER

2010-01-29T14:40:00.004Z

Big Brother is a show that I last watched regularly about five or six years ago. I'd really reached a stage where I thought 'life's too short' to spend my time watching such inane shenanigans. So imagine my surprise to find myself well and truly hooked in the first few weeks of the year. It's true that to call it 'Celebrity' Big Brother may be pushing it slightly (in fact the most famous person in there has probably been Vinnie Jones), nevertheless I've thoroughly enjoyed this series and apart from a couple of exceptions, this has been a thoroughly decent bunch who have proven you don't need fisticuffs to get good ratings.

I'll be sad to see it go, so in tribute to the funniest show of 2010 so far, here's my take on the housemates. Click for a closer look!

OBAMA SKETCH

2010-01-26T12:30:00.003Z

CELEBRITY CARICATURES

2010-01-21T21:08:00.007Z

I'm no different to many artists in that I frequently find myself searching for a 'style' that defines my art, and have been frustrated in the past when this has seemingly eluded me. In 2010 I plan to not worry about this so much and just draw the way I want to draw.

With the above in mind, lets get things kicked off with caricatures of the lovely Sandra Bullock and a slightly more stylised take on Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen:

COMMISSIONED CHARACTERS

2010-01-19T17:24:00.006Z

I'm currently involved with an ongoing illustration project for corporate brochures, and the following caricatures are industry figureheads which the client wanted drawn in a more 'character' style. They are, from left to right, W. Edwards Deming, Henry Ford, Shigeo Shingo, Professor Jeffrey Liker, Taiichi Ohno, and Frederick Winslow Taylor. I actually worked from a montage of each person to give me a broader understanding of their features. Click for an enlarged version!

R-PATTZ

2010-01-13T16:33:00.008Z

Love him or loathe him, there's no denying the star of 'Twilight' is everywhere right now. This sketch marks a bit of foray back into celebrity caricatures, which I've let slip of late in the whirlwind of festive gigs and commissions. I aim to rectify this over the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!

LAST POST OF THE YEAR!

2009-12-15T09:17:00.009Z

For those wondering why my blog posts have been rather infrequent of late, here's the explanation: I've been undertaking Steve Silver's Character Design course for the last few months, an online learning facility provided over at the Schoolism site. I've long been a huge fan of Steve's work, and this seemed an ideal way to learn from one of the true masters while giving my career in character design a much-needed boost. Needless to say, I found the course an inspiration, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to further their skills in this area.

Once some fundamentals had been established, the backbone of the syllabus involved designing a character from the classic Dickens novel 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', albeit with a twist never seen before. Hence my character, 'Mick Hyde', is a hard-drinking, womanising rock star in 1970s New York, who makes an appearance every time his mild-mannered chiropractor alter ego 'Leo Jekyll' quaffs a potion composed of rock stars' spinal fluids. (Seriously.)

I initially had someone like Robert Plant in mind for the character, but later decided to give him a harder, spikier edge with overtones of Nikki Sixx or suchlike. I felt it imbued him with a little more danger whilst retaining some of that late 70s Ramones look. Here's a selection of my drawings from the project, including the final version:

At the beginning of the course we were asked to design the character of 'Jerry Loomy', an oily, malicious used car salesman. We then redesigned him at the end of the course, using the skills learned throughout the nine weeks:

In closing, here's a couple of live caricatures, and some personal illustration work I've been busy with of late - Christmas card caricatures of my folks, and me and my girlfriend Lynsey. The 'King Kong' theme represents the fact we're off for a short break in New York tomorrow, Home Alone 2-style. Yippee!!!

Have a great Christmas everyone, and thanks for following my blog in 2009. I hope to see you all in the New Year!

WEDDING CARICATURE

2009-12-10T10:32:00.004Z

...created for Sandra & Steve, from Washington, Tyne and Wear. Congratulations guys!

LATEST COMMISSIONED WORK

2009-12-02T10:46:00.005Z

Some more gift caricatures in my more detailed, digital style. The second couple are Helen & Ali, whom you may remember I sketched at their wedding party a couple of weeks ago. They later decided to have me create this much more elaborate illustration (from photo reference) for their guest thank you cards. Scroll down to the previous post to see the earlier live drawing!

LATEST ART

2009-11-16T11:56:00.009Z

Various bits & pieces, including some photos taken this weekend at the wedding of Helen & Ali in Yorkshire (thanks for letting me post these snaps, guys!), a recent Christmas Card commission, and some stuff from my sketchbook.

...as always, I'm indebted to The Lovely Lynsey for her sterling work on camera duties. Enjoy!

Reaction shots to the above...

The following little guy is David, who with his little brother Harry never left my side all night. A budding artist to watch, I reckon!

The 'chest hair creature' above was inspired by a hilarious piece I saw over at the blog of the mighty Jert. If you're not familiar with his work I'd highly recommend you check it out. Warning - contains strong language and adult humour!!

COUPLE O' LIVE CARICATURES

2009-11-05T17:08:00.009Z

These were drawn at a 21st Birthday Party in Durham recently. The last photo gives you an idea of my process when drawing live, where I whack in some basic shapes & expression with a blue Polychromos pencil before committing myself with ink. Why blue? No other reason than it looks cool, even when the lines aren't erased at the end. Reminds me of rough animation drawings.

...incidentally, thanks to Christine Ebdy for taking these snaps, and for allowing me to tinker with them slightly (this includes reversing each pair so they're the same way round as their drawing). Just click on her name or the link on the right-hand side to visit her website.

LAS VEGAS COMMISSION

2009-10-30T10:45:00.002Z

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, I promise there'll be a decent influx of stuff coming shortly! In the meantime here's a gift illustration created for a couple who tied the knot in Vegas recently. As is often the case there were a couple of in-jokes that needed to be included, hence the kiddies' scooter, Elvis-isms and Stratosphere Tower (the groom rode this the night before the wedding). I threw in the minister as a freebie; after being told of this all-singing, all-dancing fusion of Barack Obama & OJ Simpson, how could I not?

MILITARY STEP-BY-STEP

2009-10-13T15:44:00.014Z

Following the interest in my earlier post where I outlined the various stages of a large group caricature, I thought I'd post another. Again, this was a privately commissioned piece where the artwork was ultimately going to be presented as a gift at an upcoming event.

As I usually find with this type of project, I found myself presented with a unique set of challenges and quite a few logistical headaches en route to the final illustration. I'd been given a very specific brief, and indeed quite a lengthy list of in-jokes and background elements (some of them extremely specialised - cheers Google!) which needed to be included. In the end I was generally happy, though there are certainly areas where I feel I'd make improvements next time.

As with the Orient Express illustration, the following is a deviation from my usual private commission procedure where I don't submit roughs; however there was so much scale and intricate military detail that I really had to work closely with the client to ensure nothing was omitted or incorrect.

Step 1: Rough Pencils A. The first pass, informed by the client's description and in this case, rough sketch. The 'bubbles' were an idea I came up with when it became apparent some indoor scenes were required, despite the rest of the illustration taking place out of doors.

Step 2: Rough Pencils B. Some changearounds and modification to detail, but nothing too vast.

Step 3: Linework. Like much of my art, this was fully hand-drawn with markers & fineliner and then scanned into Photoshop for colour.

Step 4: Completed Artwork A. A low res JPEG, emailed to the client to ensure all was well. As it happens some of the uniform detail had been overlooked, as well as a couple of other small details.

Step 5: Completed Artwork B. The final article. As I said, there are still a few areas that niggle: the empty area of tree canopy on the right was always a concern, and it does unbalance the composition slightly. Though overall I'm satisfied with the final result (as was the client), and I've learned some good lessons in the process. Hope you've enjoyed this sneak peek!

STUDIO CARICATURES

2009-10-10T12:03:00.006Z

These five illustrations were commissioned by a couple getting married (today, as it happens) as gifts for the best man & ushers at their wedding. They were required at pretty short notice, and were requested to be drawn in my 'live' style, ie simple black line with some marker shading, and minimal detail excepting the outfit requests. Pretty cool gifts, I thought!

RECENT LIVE PICS

2009-10-05T12:13:00.003Z

A couple of game chaps from a wedding fair, and a really fun lady from a corporate event. Great faces!

FOOTIE COMMISSION

2009-09-11T09:42:00.006Z

Quite a fun job this, completed as a birthday present for the main chap in the centre. (The actual artwork didn't contain the reference photos, I've simply pasted them in here for comparison.)

For further information on commissioning a gift caricature, drop me an email at mikegiblin77@hotmail.com where I'll be happy to provide details.

ANTONIO BANDERAS

2009-09-08T19:37:00.002Z

This started life earlier today as a warmup sketch before I started my 'real' work. I later felt it worthy of a Photoshop paint job.

LIVE CARICATURES

2009-08-31T18:15:00.003Z

A few photos taken by my girlfriend Lynsey at this weekend's weddings. All told we covered more than a thousand miles on what has to be one of the more exhausting weekends in recent memory. We set off from our home town of Newcastle on Saturday morning, travelling up to Inverness in Scotland for an afternoon booking. We then drove back down on Sunday for a 6pm booking in Liverpool, before heading back here. Crazy times (yet fun, as I'm sure the pics will attest). Now someone get me a large Southern Comfort!!

Reaction shot to the above...

This guy was a hoot...

o

MORE GIFT CARICATURES!

2009-08-23T11:11:00.010Z

SKETCHES

2009-08-19T10:44:00.004Z

It's been a while since I've posted some honest-to-goodness sketchbook stuff, as I've been pretty busy with gigs & private commissions. Nevertheless here are a few random bits & pieces from the last few days. Expect more to follow.

COMMISSIONED CARICATURES

2009-08-07T13:51:00.009Z

Busy times! Here are a few personal gift commissions I've recently completed.

GROUP CARICATURE STEP-BY-STEP

2009-08-03T14:11:00.011Z

Every now and then an illustration project comes along that is equal parts frustrating & brain-bamboozling, but ultimately very rewarding. Such was the case with this commission, which I completed last week for a private client. Story is, the 20-strong group are off travelling on the Orient Express in late August to celebrate the 50th Birthday of one of its members, and wanted something special to commemorate the occasion.

The following was created as a digital caricature in my usual style - ie initially hand-drawn artwork subsequently coloured/shaded in Photoshop - yet deviated from normal procedure in that I submitted roughs to the client along the way; for purposes of time and artistic expression I wouldn't usually do this for a personal commission, but as there was such a wealth of detail and 'in-jokes' I wanted to get things clear in my head from the start.

Step 1: First sketch. As is usual, I'd asked the client to provide me with an in-depth list of detail relating to each person's outfit, position, accessories etc, as well as any background or incidental elements. You'll notice faces are numbered and have not yet been drawn; they'll be included later.

Step 2: Final Sketch. Once all the details were okayed by the client, I drew the likenesses of each person (based on emailed photo reference), and pasted them into the sketch. You'll notice that following feedback, I've made adjustments to some people and shuffled things around here and there; not only so I could fit everything in, but also so a nice balance could be achieved within the composition.

Step 3: Linework. Because there was going to be so much detail in the final art, I actually had to create the linework over 4 A3 sheets, which I then pasted together in Photoshop. I deliberately omitted certain details such as the steam, flowers, background, text etc, knowing I'd be adding them in digitally later on.

Step 4: Final. This is the final artwork, which, as is the norm with my digital stuff, was given to the client as a high resolution JPEG file on CD alongside an A3 glossy print. You'll notice there were still some minor alterations which made it on the way to the final cut, but overall I'm happy with the way everything turned out.

I later received the following email from the client:

Hi Mike,

Just thought I would let you know we have had the picture enlarged and framed by a company called Digital Lab, near the Cluny. It is approx 32" x 16". It looks brilliant. Once again many thanks, we will highly recommend you to everyone. I will let you know Graham's reaction on Saturday when we present it to him.

Very best wishes, Sue.

LIVE CARICATURES

2009-07-11T10:13:00.006Z

Nothing too earth-shattering, just a couple of images from a recent wedding in Manchester that I finally got around to uploading. If you'd like great entertainment at YOUR event drop me an email at mikegiblin77@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to provide further info, prices etc. Stay tuned by the way, I'll have some interesting things to share over the next week or so!

LATEST COMMISSIONED WORK

2009-07-07T09:18:00.004Z

This digital caricature is to be printed on hand towels at Laura & Derek's wedding in September, and presented to their guests as favours. Congratulations guys!

LATEST COMMISSIONED WORK

2009-06-23T15:11:00.006Z

Just two for today: one a straightforward father/son gift caricature from photographs in my live style (albeit a tad more refined), the other a family of Jedi in the style of the 'Star Wars: Clone Wars' poster, which is, I believe, going to be used as a guest signing board at a wedding I'm attending later in the summer. Those familiar with Tom Richmond's blog may be familiar with this post, where he was asked to do something not entirely dissimilar, but spent much of his time pasting out & reshuffling elements of the original poster in Photoshop. I can totally identify, and did indeed spend a lot of time on this one doing painstaking, seemingly endless tweaking to background elements. Nevertheless I'm happy with the result, and think it works well overall.

NEW LIVE PICS & VIDEO!

2009-06-14T09:34:00.018Z

Some visitors to my blog may remember Colin Knight from the NCN Convention in North Carolina last year - he's a lovely, unassuming Scottish chap with a keen interest in caricature & cartoon art. Anyway Colin booked me to perform at the 21st birthday party of his nephew Tom, which took place near York last night. He also commissioned me to create a digital piece which he had framed and presented to Tom at the end of the evening's drawing. Below are a bunch of artwork snaps, reaction shots and even a video of me in action! I'd like to thank Colin's family & friends for making this one of the funnest gigs I've ever attended, and also for allowing me to post the artwork here.

...a special debt of gratitude to The Lovely Lynsey for her continued support, being on camera duty and putting up with my continuing quest to avoid getting a 'proper' job. You're the best!

The Big Reveal...

...and here's the original artwork as produced by myself.

NEW! For the first time ever, here's some footage of me doing my live caricature thing. This is typical of my usual setup (though it's quite rare to be out of doors in the chilly UK), and just serves to illustrate why I prefer to work from an easel as opposed to roaming around the venue - I think the fascination, amusement & banter among the guests speaks for itself. If you'd like to have hilarious, unique entertainment at your event then please contact me at mikegiblin77@hotmail.com for further details & pricing.

MORE GREAT FEEDBACK

2009-05-16T11:22:00.002Z

A few days ago I posted a bunch of live work from a wedding I attended in West Yorkshire. The following is an email I received yesterday from the bride; once again it's a fantastic feeling to know that what I do is appreciated & enjoyed, and I've been able to make someone's big day that bit more special. Click for a larger view.

NEW LIVE PICS

2009-05-15T12:45:00.005Z

...from a corporate exhibition I attended at Manchester's GMEX arena yesterday. Enjoy!

AWESOME FEEDBACK!

2009-05-12T13:25:00.006Z

I regularly get emails or notes of thanks from clients whose wedding/corporate event/party (fill in blank here) I've attended to draw caricatures of their guests. But every now and then one comes through that really gives me a buzz, that infuses me with a great feeling that somehow I've been able to contribute to someone's special day. The following is a prime example of this, click on the image for a larger version:

TONS O'STUFF

2009-05-10T12:53:00.008Z

Got a lot to share, I've been a busy boy lately! The following are a selection of photos from recent live caricature gigs, including priceless reaction shots which are ALWAYS worth capturing. Also included are a couple of wedding invitation designs I've completed in the last week or so. Enjoy!

I thought this guy would make a fantastic Bruce Wayne/Batman. Hence the following interpretation:

And the reaction...

This lady was sporting some wonderfully wild n'crazy hair...

This one of the blushing bride and her best pal had everyone in hysterics...

...as you can see from the photo evidence!

I thought this guy was a dead ringer for Nick Hewer from the UK version of 'The Apprentice' as soon as I clapped eyes on him. Couple that with a Mr Burns-style praying mantis posture and hey presto! (though the expression tells a different story, he loved it.)

Wedding stuff!

RIP BEA ARTHUR

2009-04-27T12:26:00.009Z

I was saddened to learn of the passing of veteran actress Bea Arthur earlier today. Despite a varied & illustrious career, Bea will nevertheless be remembered by many as the hilariously deadpan Dorothy from the classic 80s sitcom 'The Golden Girls'. I was a massive fan of the show and have recently rediscovered it on UK digital TV.

As a tribute, here's some Golden Girls character designs I did last year for the now-defunct 'ToonWeekly' website, which some of you may remember. Rest in peace Bea, you were great!

LIVE CARICATURES

2009-04-26T14:01:00.005Z

It's been a while since I've posted any of these on my blog, but here's a couple of snaps taken from events I attended this week; one a wedding and the other a corporate awards evening. They are typical of my live style, where I average around 12-14 faces per hour. If anyone's interested in having me entertain their guests at an upcoming event, feel free to email at mikegiblin77@hotmail.com for further info & prices.

QUICK RIMMER (No sniggering at the back...)

2009-04-23T10:44:00.003Z

BARBRA STREISAND

2009-04-22T17:47:00.001Z

Another sketch for the 'Let's Draw!' thread over at the ISCA forum.

KIRK & SPOCK (RELOADED)

2009-04-15T13:36:00.003Z

I've never been a particularly big Star Trek fan, falling more into the Star Wars camp as a kid of the early eighties. However I have to confess a fondness for the original series, so I've been following progress on the new movie with interest. Advance word suggests that director JJ Abrams may just have pulled off his reboot of the franchise, and that the movie comes together in a unique and believable way despite the recasting of many iconic characters. Here's Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto, in their roles as Kirk & Spock.

CARICATURE SKETCHES

2009-04-15T11:34:00.004Z

Nothing too earth-shattering, just a bunch of stuff doodled whilst leafing through OK! magazine. (Yes, I admit I read it, but for research purposes only...)

JOSS STONE

2009-04-09T23:53:00.003Z

A crack at the talented (yet weirdly accented, and slightly annoying) singer/songwriter for the International Society of Caricature Artists forum. Mmm... pink.

HEATH SKETCH

2009-04-03T16:09:00.004Z

I posted this caricature of Heath Ledger in full Joker getup a while ago, but here's a sketch of the late star in his natural guise. I saw this as an opportunity to develop my shading & crosshatching skills a little more, which are admittedly a little rusty. Drawn for the celebrity birthdays sketch thread over at the NCN forum.

SKETCH INFECTUS

2009-04-02T15:24:00.004Z

This morning I received in the post my copy of 'Sketch Infectus', the latest book by fantastic US artist Joe Bluhm. In a few short years, Joe has achieved a phenomenal skill level in the fields of caricature, fine art & character design amongst others, whilst simultaneously gaining massive respect in the artistic community. I've met him a number of times and would love to tell you he's a total ass, however I can confirm he's a super nice dude to boot. (Damn it!!)

As the title would suggest, it's a compendium of sketches & studies taken directly from the pages of Joe's sketchbook, and punctuated throughout by fascinating quotes from a wide array of artists, all offering their thoughts on the importance of sketching. I haven't had a chance to delve too deeply yet, but an initial glance through has got me itching to hit the drawing board; I can already see it becoming one of those books I turn to when I'm in need of inspiration and a quick 'pick me up' as an artist.

To purchase your own copy of Sketch Infectus, visit art2books.com here.

RECENT SKETCHBOOK PAGES

2009-03-31T18:19:00.005Z

CHRISTIAN BALE

2009-03-19T14:08:00.007Z

...in full on 'berserker' mode. It's been a long time since I tackled a more 'gag' style of celebrity caricature, such as the samples I used to create when I worked at the theme park. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy injecting humour into my work, and that it was discovering the phenomenal art of greats Tom Richmond and Chris Rommel back in the late 90s that first got me interested in caricature. Incidentally if anyone wants to hear Bale's infamous on-set rant you can do so here, but be warned - there's strong language from the start and throughout. (which is putting it mildly).

TOM CRUISE

2009-03-18T10:29:00.004Z

A sketch of the couch-dancing, beast-faced Hollywood lunatic. Just for giggles, here's the legendary clip of him getting squirted with water whilst attending a UK premiere a couple of years back. I'm actually on the star's side with this one - the interviewer was bang out of order and deserved to be pulled up on his conduct. Still funny as hell to see the Cruiser getting all serious like he's performing a pivotal movie scene though.

COMPLETED SCHWARZENEGGER

2009-03-08T21:46:00.006Z

A few days ago I posted this sketch of Arnold; here is the final version. As with the recent Sawyer caricature I decided not to ink the drawing but instead render it in pencil & graphite, a technique I find really gives me more control of my lines and is way more satisfying. Shading added in Photoshop.

AUDREY HEPBURN

2009-03-04T13:33:00.003Z