Salvador Dali

Trying to go for a different look here that captures the spirit of Dali.  So this is my surrealist version of a caricature.

Sketchbook

Some random sketches from my sketchbook.  These were done from pictures I took with my camera phone.   The first one is an older man leaving Walmart and heading to his car.  Some may find this boring, but I see interesting things to draw with every day people.

This next one is a group of people wating in line for popcorn at the movie theatre.

This was a man reading at Barnes and Noble.  Just sketches of everyday people.

Keith Richards

Here is my version of Legendary Guitarist Keith Richards. By the way - I just downloaded three songs from the new release Get Yer YaYas Out (40th Annivcrsary Edition). I would recommend Prodigal Son and Under My Thumb. Two songs which weren't on the original release.

Retirement Caricature

Retirement Caricature
Originally uploaded by GiftCaricature4U
This is a caricature I recently did for a co-worker who recently retired. Her name is Janice and she has just completed 30 years and is ready to give up the blue cube life.

Dan Smith

Fellow caricature artist Dan Smith.

Ten Most Interesting Faces of 2009

It's That Time Again

Every year I create a Christmas card with a cartoon of mine. This year I have captured myself, my wife, daughter, cats, and 1 fish doing some last minute Christmas shopping. I enjoy doing this and I hope my relatives enjoy it. But my wife and daughter always seem to complain that I have drawn them "too fat" or "the hair isn't right", or "I would never dress that way". Oh well I can't help it.

Photoshop Tips

Since I've started using Photoshop as a tool, I've collected my own set of tips which work for me. I thought I'd post them to see if they are useful to the incredibly small number of people who happen to stumble on my blog. The following are on scanning in line art and coloring in.

Scanning in B&W Ink Line Art

1. Scan in Gray @ 300 dpi

2. Duplicate Background

3. Erase Background to all white (Control + A to select and then delete)

4. Name duplicate background “line art”

5. On line art layer, apply Gaussian blur at 1 pixel

6. On line art layer, increase contrast to taste

7. On background layer, set to invisible

8. Set line art layer blending options to “multiply”

9. Within blending options, (blend if gray, this layer) set to less 255 until all white disappears.

Scanning in pencil line art

1. Scan in Gray @ 300 dpi

2. Duplicate Background

3. Erase Background to all white (Control + A to select and then delete)

4. Name duplicate background “line art”

5. On background layer, set to invisible

6. Set line art layer blending options to “multiply”

7. Within blending options, (blend if gray, this layer) set to less 255 until all white disappears.

8. Duplicate line art layer (this will make the line art darker if needed)

Color in line art

1. After scanning in either pencil or ink line art

2. Duplicate line art layer if this hasn’t been done

3. Merge both line art layers together (not sure why you need to do this but it works)

4. On layers window, within line art layer, select the checkerboard icon next to lock.

5. Now only visible pixels can be colored

Scan in alternate technique

1. Scan line art as grayscale image
2. Create a new blank layer, rename it “Line Art”
3. Go to the “Channels” palette, there is only one channel called “Gray”
4. At the bottom of the channels palette, click the “dashed circle” icon entitled “Load Channel as Selection”
5. In “Select” drop down menu, select “Inverse”
6. Go to your “Line Art” layer
7. Press “D” on your keyboard to reset swathes so full black in active color
8. Press “Alt” + “”Delete” to fill selection with black
9. On background layer, press “Control” + “A” to select and then “Delete” to delete line art on that layer
10. Convert to RGB or CMYK
11. This method I found from Tom Richmond’s Blog http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/2008/06/06/new-photoshop-line-art-trick/ it has the advantage where with the previous technique has a problem that the white areas on the multiply mode are not gone, they are merely inert when in Multiply mode. This means that once you take that final step and “flatten” the image all the white areas combine with the lower color layers and inherent that color.

Color in alternate technique

1. Go to the “Channels” palette, there is only one channel called “Gray”
2. At the bottom of the channels palette, click the “dashed circle” icon entitled “Load Channel as Selection”
3. In “Select” drop down menu, select “Inverse”
4. Create new layer above Line Art layer
5. Color in lines with wide brush – it will only color in the line art.

Jason Seiler DVD

I also received Jason Seiler's DVD "Sketching with Jason Seiler" It's a well produced DVD with a special features section including Jason's Sketchbook, Painting Gallery, Sketch Gallery, and information on "Schoolism". There are also several lessons included which cover Form and Shape, the importance of Thumbnails, Crosshatching Techniques, and Digital Paint Sketching. I like the video because I find it interesting to see how other artist approach their work and what they are thinking as they work out problems or come up with creative solutions. Jason does a good job of explaining how he approaches his work and his personal philosophies. After watching this video, I went out and bought a sketchbook and am going to start sketching every day.

Tom Richmond

Just got a copy, yesterday, of BO Confidential from Mad Artist Tom Richmond. He signed it with an original pencil sketch of Alfred E Neuman. It looks like I got one of the last ones because he posted on his "Mad" blog that he is sold out the same day I received it.