new illustrations

Here are a couple of illustrations I have been meaning to post. (I am stupid and could not figure out how to sign in to this blog for a while... It's a bit more complicated than my LJ) These are from the last month. I am currently working on 4 more that I was asked to do this week. I will post them when finished.

This one was for a Hospital. These were the resident doctors for the year and they were leaving. There were a LOT of little things for this one and it was a major pain in the ass! It all worked out though. It's a nice piece for the portfolio for sure. These were done in Adobe Illustrator. It was an experiment to be honest but I have really gotten to like this program. Everything looks so "cleaned up" and professional. It is easy to make corrections and in my experience, this is the most client friendly look for this type of gift caricature. For instance, a b/w bust I might draw freehand with pencil or maybe do a squiggle drawing with photoshop that appears more organic and free. Illustrations like this with a lot of details and such, people who see it and commission it like to see things nice and neat and orderly. The "sanitized" look is exactly what they want from me in this case.



Had really bad photos to go from but it turned out OK. I have been giving the clients #1 a draft approval #2 a likeness approval and finally a final approval. At each step they get one minor revision for free. I have not gotten paid yet for this next one. It is the groundskeeper for a high profile company in Lyndhurst. It has only been a week since it was delivered but I must say that getting a payment has become a hazard lately. I must insist on getting a deposit or payment upfront from now on. The deal is never so sweet after the delivery is made. Of course this makes me sound suspect to the client... "Why do you need paid first? That sounds kinda shady...." Whatever. Thankfully, several of the latest clients have paid upfront without being asked to. Thanks, BTW : )

Cose board Illustration

Friday morning I drew caricatures at the monthly COSE board meeting. I drew pencil sketches of 31 members that I plan on reworking into a group illustration. I did this job for free as it was a dress rehearsal for this service so that I can have a smooth operation when I offer it up to the public. I think things went really well though I can see some areas where I need some improvement.

#1 I would like to try and get people when they are talking or acting a bit more casual. (I thought it was going to be a tad more casual than it was) Almost everybody I drew ended up looking much too serious. It was a serious meeting and this is normal but the caricatures should have a bit more of a humorous feel to them. It would have been ideal to be able to chit chat with everybody or at least observe them chit chatting with others just a bit so I could get a feel for their personalities. Some people I knew but the majority I didn't know at all and if they didn't say much at the meeting I didn't get much of an impression from them.

#2 Perspectives and angles (facing right, left or forward, etc...) could use improvement though we will see how much more when the group drawing is finished. I may be able to incorporate everybody into it with the way they are looking. Some people I am going to have to draw as if they are further away and some I will have to simplify and others still make them look a little more friendly. There were some characters in that room and I have met many of them before and they are jolly, happy people though they look almost angry in the sketches. I shall have to try and correct that in the final drawing.

I plan on releasing the drawing to the guy who was nice enough to allow me to come, Steve Millard. Hopefully it will be suitable for framing and all of the members will want one. Here are groups of the drawings:





I also plan on making a test run of the CORPS project within the COSE organization as well. At least a wing of it for starters. I am having a lot of trouble coming up with free time anymore with all of the gift caricatures I have been asked to do lately and all of the home improvements that need to be done this summer. Hopefully I can get to it by the end of August.

I plan on having some specials and adding a newsletter and email group to the site. I have also (maybe) figured out why sometimes the site doesn't come up for everybody. It may be a code error in the beginning of the document. I have to get to that in the next couple of days too. Can't have some people thinking that the site is down or not working properly.

The new bar promotion went well at McCarthys in Avon Lake. I think they may have me back. It was very well received and worked out well for me as well. I plan on having a school promotion in September and some other promotions in October for halloween parties and of course some Holiday stuff in November and December. This new website was really a good idea.