Quickie

hmmm... I wonder if Billford should have an older sister.

Library Study

I was supposed to be in the library studying for one of my classes, but I liked studying Sargent better. 

Anthropology Notes

(above & below) The Professor, Jerome O'Neal

Coy Maid

Sorry I haven't posted any actual work in what seems to have been forever. I've been at school and working. But this is my last week of school before winter break. Hopefully, I'll be able to crank out a couple new paintings but then I have to get ready to move to Seattle (exciting and stressful)!

Inspiration: An Opera Singer

I'm not the biggest fan of opera, occasionally there's a song that I fall in love with. During one of my plunges into the depths of the internet this gem came into play.

This video had me completely entranced. Not just the power of Wagner or the purity of the soprano's voice, but the expressions on the soprano. I just kept watching it repeatedly looking at her face. 

Her eyes are the first thing I noticed. The eye on the right is open a lot wider than the other, and the eye on the left looks like it wants to sag off the face. 

I think it's interesting when the lips cover teeth. 

Her face is facing one direction but her mouth is facing another!

Her bottom teeth appeared to have been quite prominant through the piece. She has an interesting set of bottom teeth, very long and narrow.

I'm not sure if it's just the aspect ratio or her, but she takes squash and stretch to a whole new meaning.

The one above is probably my favorite. The song got quite dramatic, so did her face.  

I feel that the ends justify the means. She's not there to be pretty (even though she is), she's there to make powerful, moving music. Sometimes I think it's the opposite in todays standards.  

I am working on new drawings. Be patient. 

sketch DUMP: the Returun!

I'm back with a whole bunch of new drawings from my sketchbook. I remember I saw a post on Cartoon Cave where Pete drew from Charlie Rose interviews. It was such a good idea, it's perfect because the interviewee isn't moving around much and isn't changing appearances from shot to shot. Charlie Rose comes one a little later than most PBS programming that I watch, but the idea does work while food network too! Cartoons also work. 

"Tea for Two" is secretly about gettin' it on, at least that's how I hear it. below is one horrible attempt at drawing Jane Russell (it looks more like a man in drag) and the one that is painted is one that was more satisfying, this was while watching "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

Jane at work. Yum.

The rest. 

Adams Vs. Glass

Sorry that nothing has been posted in a while. I've been house sitting, so I had no scanner for a couple of weeks. As a result many of drawings have been built up which would have otherwise been posted. Let's fix that...

Lately, my musical tastes have been focusing on minimalist and post-minimalist. It's been growing since I've been listening to John Adams (below).

For a long time my appreciation for minimalist music has been ruined by one man: Philip Glass (below). For some reason Glass has been the poster-boy for minimalist music. It must be that his music best embodies what minimalism is. Where as Adams, typically referred to as a post-minimalist, is what a typical audience would like minimalism to be; I am that audience member. I like Adams work because it's far more inviting. He gives you a space and allows you to explore it. Glass on the other hand I find to be a bit harsher, it's also ugly sounding (his later work is better). 

Other composers that has been peaking my interest is Steven Reich and Arvo Part.

Also, I heard someone say that Fox News uses a blue background for someone they want you to like and red for the ones they want you to disagree with. Weird considering red = Republican and blue = Democrat. Anyway, the idea behind it was interesting so I used it; Papermate - fair & balanced. 

In the above image towards the left, notice how Glass' nostrils have been played with, the upside down ones are the most bizarre. 

more to come.

Old School Caricatures!

Good caricature is hard to come-by these days, like with much of art it seems the pinnacle of the medium happened before the 20th century. Whilst waiting for my next class in the library I decided to go through the selection there (my school library has a great selection on art) and there they had "Master's of Caricature." In it was a long list of great caricature artists of a bygone era. I wrote a list of all my favorites.

Honoré Daumier (February 26, 1808 – February 10, 1879)

This one below is BEAUTIFUL!

This one below isn't a caricature, but it's still awesome!

Daumier also made amazing sculptures!

Jean-Pierre Dantan (1800-1869)

Masterpiece. It's a shame I can't find anything else this good, and when I do it's thumbnail size only.

Louis-Léopold Boilly (5 July 1761 – 4 January 1845)

Boilly has been one of my favorites for quite some time, a lot of his caricatures come from a book that was very popular at the time called "Les Grimaces."

Not only was Boilly a wonderful caricaturist but he was a master painter.

Georges Goursat (1863-1934)

Sidney Sime (1867 – May 22, 1941)

Was mostly known for being a fantasy artist, but on the side he did killer caricature! Sadly there isn't very much available online and the ones available are not very big or substandard quality.

Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm (August 24, 1872 – May 20, 1956)

This below was found on Christies website, it sold for $2,344. Jeeze! I sure hope the look at it.

Jean Veber (1868-1928)

Not a fan of most of his stuff, but I did love this. Haw! 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901)

The lines in this one are beautiful, Art Nouveau was highly influenced by Eastern Art, maybe Lautrec was looking at Chinese brush paintings?

Man, the use of tinted paper is lovely, makes me want to do it!

Henry (Harry) Furniss (March 26, 1854 - January 14, 1925)

Claude Monet (14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926)

That's right, the king of impressionism started off making caricatures as a schoolboy and actually sold off a couple. Who would of thought a guy who painted water-lilies all day had a great sense of humor?

Lyonel Charles Feininger (July 17, 1871 – January 13, 1956)

This gentleman was mentioned in the book I couldn't find very much in terms of caricature, but I did find all these AMAZING paintings! It was too good not to share.