Skyfall caricature... I think...

I saw the rip roaringly excellent Skyfall a few days back and ever since I thought I'd have a crack at a Daniel Craig as James Bond caricature. I've always found caricature a real challenge to step up to, that struggle to distill down to those fleeting key shapes and lines which magically sum up a personality. When you see it done at it's best, like the true master Al Hirschfeld for example, it's a glorious art form, although it's maddening when you try it yourself. I think I'd like to have another go at him, simplify the forms and lines much further, not quite so overworked in the facial features, more geometric perhaps, but I should call it a night... I think there's at least something there but the more I look at it the less he looks anything like Daniel Craig at all! It's like when you keep saying a word, the more you repeat it the less it makes any sense... then it gradually begins to sound absurd! A fun quick exercise though. And I highly recommend the film!

Lebowski and the mug...

I've had this illustration hanging around for a few weeks now but since it was for a printed mug surprise for a good friend's birthday, and since I then forgot all about it, it hasn't seen the light of day... I don't usually feel comfortable with caricatures but this is my answer to Kev Levell's superb birthday Lebowski caricature for me. For those fans of the most excellent Coen bros The Big Lebowski film no explanation is required I hope... for everyone else this should illustrate what I was getting at.

Stephen Fry is taller than that...

You look at things after a nights sleep and what do you find but a 'stumpy Stephen Fry'. While I was putting him on the rack I thought I'd take my good friend Phil's recommendation and put a bit of colour in his face. I'm enjoying the stylised white face & pink nose look from my Bleriot illustrations but I cannot deny that this pic benefits from the warmer flesh tones. Soupy twist m'colleagues as Stephen might say.