Sneak Peek 2

Here's the pen work on the afore men- tioned retiring prin- ciple's illustra- tion. I need to do a little more work on it, but for the most part this stage of the drawing is done.

I always feel better when I get this part completed and I'm happy with it. The color makes it come to life, but if I think the caricature looks good at this point then I'm happy.

Of course the final test comes when I hear back from the client after they see the final product. I'm learning more and more that there are no guarantees in the world of cartooning.

Stay "tooned" for more.

A Sneak Peek

I decided to do some- thing different and give you a sneak peek of a carica- ture that I am working on. This is for Terri's husband Bob who will be retiring from being a school principle after 15 years of service.

We decided on a concept which depicts Bob as an old time principle sitting at a roll top desk. This is the pencil sketch. The next step is the pen work. After that the color pencil.

So stay "tooned" to see how it will turn out.

And here is a photo of my youngest laying on the couch while using her itouch to explore the internet. She's too cool for school. I just thought I would throw this in for fun.

Snail Mail

I was in yet another meeting last Friday (a meeting I just as soon forget about - but that's another story) and so I was presented with yet another opportunity to get some doodling done.

Sometime during the meeting somebody said something about "snail mail" and I figured I would put it done in pen. Yesterday I "Googled" "snail mail" and saw I wasn't the first person to illustrate the concept, but of all the illustrations I saw I was the only one who ended up creating a sad looking character. All the other ideas were ones of happy little snails, gladly carrying out their postal duty. I think they got it all wrong. The problem with snail mail is that it moves at a snail's pace.

This guy is probably carrying that check you've been expecting to get in the mail. Isn't that the way it always goes? The bills come at lightning speed. Whereas checks take an eeeeeteeeerniiityyyy to arrive!!!!

Copy & Share If You Dare, but get it done quickly. These kinds of opportunities don't come around very often you know.

Blue Sky

I've been in Portland for the last few days for a meeting. I dug back into an old file to find this little doodle that I drew for our local paper a few years ago.

If you've ever lived in the NW you can appreciate this one. I have seen it rain for two weeks straight here before. That's the price you pay for all the lush, green views that surround us. I just keep telling myself that if it didn't rain, and was always sunny, we would look like the California desert - UGLY!!

Maybe you've had a string of bad weather lately and the sun has finally broken through. If so, break out the sun glasses and... Copy & Share If You Dare.

Do You Believe In Magic

This is a doodle that I'm not too proud of. I drew it sometime ago and have been hanging on to it. I'm running low on material to post at the moment and so I found myself forced to post this one. I call it "Magic." The little fire ball is suppose to represent magic of some sort. Got it?

To tell you the truth, I don't even know if Eggy made it into this illustration. So maybe you want to save yourself the trouble of looking.

One of the reasons I'm short on doodles is that I had another rejection on a caricature. I almost posted the rejected drawing with the idea of doing a follow up on my second attempt. But I decided that I would wait.

Also...

I got this photo from Andi the other day. It is of her daughter, Arielle, holding her copy of Doodlenormous. Doesn't she look happy? Andi said that she "loved seeing the Doodle of Eggy's," but they could only find 7 of the 13 hidden in the illustration. So, I sent her a cheat sheet to help.

If you've considered purchasing a copy of Doodlenormous now is the time to buy, because, well, my youngest is graduating from High School soon and I'm trying to save up to purchase her a laptop as a gift. Isn't that reason enough?

The instructions are on the right side bar. Go ahead. Make my day.

Your Insult For The Day

I just started doodling Sunday evening and this is what came out. I decided to use it to warm your heart with a little insult. I figured you were due. I could have said, "I think HES got a charle horse on the brain, but I wanted to make it a little more personal.

Maybe you know of someone that could use a good insult (or two) today. Go ahead. Be my guest. Spread the love around. Copy & Share If You Dare.

And have a nice day.

Earth Day

I admit, I'm always looking for a way to get my blog's name out there. I noticed that Earth Day is coming up soon, and I thought that some of you might want to have a little doodle to commemorate it on your blog.

So, here's a Copy & Share If You Dare doodle for your blogging pleasure. All I ask for is a heads up if you do. (I don't even require a link back, as so many of you are kind to do.)

I like the earth. It's the only planet I've ever lived on. You too perhaps? So, we should celebrate it. How about all of us going out on April 22 and kissing a patch of dirt. Be sure to brush your teeth. I figure mother earth wouldn't appreciate being loved up with a halitoses breath.

Exploring Makayla

Leighann's daughter, Makayla is having a birthday soon. Her mommy and daddy wanted something for a party invitation. Makayla wanted a "Dora the Explorer" birthday. Leighann asked me to draw an illustration that had the both of them exploring together. She was a bit worried about copy right issues. I figured that (and hoped) that Dora wouldn't come exploring for me with her legal representation.

Leighann sent me this photo of her daughter. She's an adorable child and I wanted to get it right for her. This is want I came up with. (Sorry - eggless)

Unfortunately, this was the response I got from Leighann...

"Rick, I have to be honest, I like the drawing itself, but I don't think the face looks anything like Makayla."

I hate to admit it, but I feared that could be her response. I worked very hard to try and capture her face, but I wasn't sure that I had actually captured it. So, I wasn't totally surprised by her reaction.

I asked her if I could get some different photos for a second attempt. Sometimes getting just the right photo helps a lot. She kindly sent me several and this shot was among them.



Despite the fact that I had prac- tically "Dora" myself silly with the first one, I went back to work on a second caricature.

This is my second attempt. Leighann's response was totally different (thank the Lord)...

"LOVE IT! You picked a good photo to go by. I love the bracelet you put on her! We are having the kids make thier own "Dora bracelet" at the party... so that is really cool!"

That was the response I was looking for. Another happy customer.

Thanks Leighann for choosing me to help celebrate your daughter. She looks like a precious child. Give my birthday wishes to her. I hope that she likes it.

Our Travelin' Salvation Road Show

The director of our church choir asked me to do a live painting presentation during two songs of the Easter musical. This is only the second time I've done anything like this. I was nervous, but I wanted to help

I purchased a piece of sign board from the local hardware store and painted it black.

I decided to use an image that I found in a magazine about banners. I copied it on a transparency and put it on an overhead projector. Then I traced the image onto the board with a dark marker before the presentation. So, I can't take full credit for the piece.

Basically I was just filling in the lines while the choir sang. The audience couldn't see my guide lines. I think most of them thought I was painting it totally on my own.

I purchase the overalls at the same hardware store where I bought the board. Somebody said that I looked like Super Mario. Vanity says that it makes me look fat. (Or fatter I should say.)

My wife sang a solo during one of the songs while I painted. She has a great voice. We make a great team. The lady with the nice smile on the left is our choir director. She's nice. You'd like her.

I painted the image in such a way that most people couldn't figure out what I was painting until I was nearly finished.

These photos actually come from the third time I painted this. There was a dress rehearsal, a Saturday evening performance, and then this was Sunday evening performance.

Can you tell what I'm painting yet. It always looks better from further back.

At the end I dipped my finger in yellow to create highlights, and red to represent blood.

It was a lot of fun, and a number of people said nice things about the painting. I sure look like my dad—only with darker hair.

Update: My daughter, Marla, took these photos and she's offended that I didn't give her credit.

Lord, you gave me this child. How am I ever going to get her raised?

Surfing U.S.A.

Liz requested an illustration of her brother Peter; pictured on the right. One of her ideas was an illustration with him on his Harley. You all know I'm a fan of Harleys, but I also know that if you're going to draw an illustration of a guy on his "Hog" you need a photo of his own bike, because drawing just any old Harley won't do.

The other idea Liz had was an illustration of Pete surfing. Apparently, back in the day... Pete use to spend a a lot of time in Huntington Beach, around lifeguard station #16. So, while Pete didn't really spend anytime on the breakers anymore, Liz thought it would be a very nostalgic gift for him.

Here, then, is what I created.

This was another fun one to create. I did a little internet research on life guard stations. Most California stations look like this one. Then I also found a number of photos of this unique pier, drawn in the back ground, in Huntington Beach. It all seem to come together very well.

What do you think... dudes?

Corn Mad

You've probably been mad before. But have you ever been CORN MAD!!!

(It's a little inside the family joke. I'm probably going to have someone "corn mad" at me tonight.)

Copy & Share If You Dare

Trying to Remember

To tell you the truth I really didn't want to post this one, because it's nothing that I'm too particularly fond of. I don't know why. Maybe it's because the one arm is why out of proportion.

I posted it because I'm waiting on a check for a caricature to arrive, and I'm in the middle of another one. Plus it's a busy time for me and I haven't had the chance to do any serious doodling. So my available stash of doodles is running low.

This guy looks like he's trying to remember something. Maybe he forgot where he's parked his car. That ever happen to you?

Anyways, here's another doodle for your viewing pleasure.

Also, it would seem that Kelly's presentation of the Sisterhood Award to me was well like by just about everyone of you. I'm still trying to figure out if it's a complement or not. Even my feminine inside is saying, "What the hey?" So, let's just keep that little bit of blogging history between us girls Urr, I mean guys. I meant GUYS!! OK?

Skater

Here's another result from a long meeting I had last Saturday. I started drawing and the next thing I knew the guy turned into a skate boarder. You got one in your family? Maybe he'd like to see this? Maybe not. Who can tell about those guys?

Also...

Coffee Bean dropped me a note to tell me that she had something on her blog for me. So what do I find when I click over there? She's given me the "Sisterhood Award!"

Now Bean, I don't want to be rude, and I appreciate the sentiment with which it has been given, but please!!... the "Sisterhood Award"?

Maybe you should take another look at my profile pic. (Maybe I should take another look at my profile pic.) One would think that the one advantage to being bald would be to never be mistaken for a sister. Apparently even that's not working in my favor.

Next thing I know you'll be sending me a coupon for a free mammogram.

Thanks for the award Bean. What a privilege to be considered one of the girls. Now leave me alone, I'm all a flutter and my mascara is running into my eyes.