Love or hate these two somewhat androgynous train wrecks and all the attention they garner, I couldn't resist adding to the cacophony and have some fun with their images.

One of my caricature gigs this December was themed with the minions of Despicable Me fame.  Who can resist these adorable little characters, and they inspired me to draw a Christmas vignette.  Though I usually only draw personalized cards for my three daughters, sisters and mom exclusively, I got such a kick out of this little group of minions, I decided to send them out to a number of friends and extended family as a Christmas card for the first time EVER!  It would sure be delightful to add their funny little voices to the scenario.

The Game of Thrones series on HBO is wildly popular, and I have read all the available 1000 page books the show is based on, so I thought it would be a blast to do a caricature of the most notoriously conniving, rich, lecherous, bloodthirsty, yet brilliant and entertaining clan of the Lannisters.  My favorite is Tyrion, the dwarf (played by the fantastic Peter Dinklage) who uses wit, sarcasm, and guile to make up for his diminutive stature, and thwarting the evil designs of his enemies and scheming family.

Caricature for a couple married at Lake Tahoe about a month ago and wanted a picture done for their "post" wedding reception in Manhattan Beach.  I'm always moaning about my distaste drawing from photos, and this was another example for my angst.  When I met Brian, I was dismayed because he looked more full faced in the photos Sara had sent me.  He was much thinner in the cheek and chin areas in person, and when he saw the drawing, I could tell he wasn't exactly rapturous.  Sara seemed more than pleased however, and said she wanted to cry, so I got at least a 50% approval rating on this one.  Their guests at the reception that I drew seemed even more effusive: a never ending line waiting to be drawn, lots of laughter, fun conversations, praise, and $300 in tips (a record for me) for the six hour time frame, and that was over and above my fee for the event.  I went home with a pocket full of cash, a check for services rendered, and a rather large smile on MY face!! :D

A sibling birthday wound around quickly for another year, along with the need for a fresh idea from previous endeavors.  Shauna has participated in the popular Color Run in the past, so that was the theme I chose for this years' card.  The first creature that came to mind was the Cameleon, which I felt fit in perfectly, their bodies changing like camouflage to blend in with their environment, just as the runners become similarly "indistinguishable" as they pass through the gauntlet of colorful powder splatting their bodies and billowing in the air.  The wet on wet technique of watercolor was the perfect medium to get the effect I wanted.  I wrote a poem on the inside to go along with more splashes of color and happy birthday wishes.

A client wanted a caricature of her friends who live in the US now, but are originally from the Ukraine and love their heritage, so included are a country setting, costumes, beer, and their German Shepherd...done in ink and Prismacolor.

The mood hit to draw some non-commissioned caricatures, so I decided to do a parody of some principle actors in the film "The Expendables".  As most have met or exceeded what is considered their "mature" Hollywood years, I thought it would be fun to depict the action stars as having become a bit creaky with affects and toll exacted upon their bodies after long careers of physicality, the title of course a play on the adult diaper brand Depend.  I wanted to show the difference between the b/w line drawing and the color finish which was done in watercolor.  In case you think my likenesses suck and can't tell who they are: Top row l to r ; Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren.  Middle row l to r ; Terry Crews, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis.  Bottom; Randy Couture, Jet Li.