My pal, Andy Heckathorne, challenged me to draw. Yes, I draw every day, but specifically he challenged me to a sketch-off. At first, he wanted it to be every day until we die. Thinking that perhaps the sketching and posting daily is what would kill me, I said, “no.” So, he compromised and suggested we do it for five days. I agreed.
The rules of the game are that each sketch can take only a maximum of 30 minutes. I did not specifically time these, but am pretty sure I am close to that deadline each day this week. No stipulation was made as to drawing materials, so let the games begin.
Since Andy’s challenge reminded me of an old western duel, my first thought immediately went to cowboys. However, instead of dueling with guns, their duel is between who has the biggest belt buckle. Enjoy!
The bigger the buckle, the bigger the man – well, in stature anyway.
I am a longtime member of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS), and recently the NCS has partnered with the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help and volunteer where possible. What goes better with cartoons than children? NCS members around the country have been volunteering to draw for the kids at various hospitals in the St. Jude network, and they lend a hand with fundraisers.
If you aren’t aware, the folks at St. Jude are dedicated to the medical care of children, particularly of those facing terrible diseases such as cancer. They take these kids in regardless of whether or not the families can afford to pay, so fundraising for this organization helps them maintain their ability to help these kids through their toughest battles.
As a former artist on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show, I came to love drawing the characters. Who wouldn’t?! Of all the things I have worked on, these guys are most often what kids ask me to draw for them. So to help the kids, I created this 11 x 14″ watercolor and colored pencil piece for the auction they will have for St. Jude’s.
Some lucky bidder will go home in their tux or swanky dress full, happy, and with Mickey and the boys under their arm. Perhaps it will be you!
Mickey, Donald & Goofy are ready to help some sick kids!
P.S. – If you’d like to see the rough drawing that was created in preparation for this final piece, come visit my public Facebook page by CLICKING HERE!
When you work in and around Hollywood, you are bound to bump into famous folks now and then. Doris Roberts, who became highly recognized for her role of Marie Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, is one such person that I have unexpectedly seen at various events around town. However, a couple of months ago I learned that she was making a public appearance at a convention, so I prepared myself for meeting her this time.
It is hard to believe, but Everybody Loves Raymond filmed their last episode ten years ago. I don’t often get caught up in television shows, but that was one I enjoyed immensely. During that final season, I was inspired to create a caricature rendering of the cast in a Norman Rockwell setting.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” in watercolor based on Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want” oil painting.
The first time I bumped into Doris out in public was the week after I had painted this illustration. I found myself walking next to her down the hill after a Tony Bennett concert at the Hollywood Bowl. I was so startled to see her there, that the first words out of my mouth were, “Oh, hello! I was just painting you last week!” Her reaction was appropriately more startled by my strange greeting, and managed to walk much faster than I at that moment.
So, ten years later, I came up to her at this latest public function and presented her with a print of my painting. This time she seemed genuinely pleased and delighted. Whew!
Doris Roberts and Chad Frye
Well, hopefully next time there will be a chance to meet Brad Garrett who played Ray’s older brother Robert (barely seen in the lower right corner of the painting). A couple of years ago Brad voiced a character I designed for an animated production that has yet to be released. So in a way, I “worked with him,” though we have never met. That’s Hollywood for you.
The other day I was doodling in my sketchbook with a blue pencil when this little creeper came out. I liked how he looked, and decided to put some ink on him. The rough inking raised his appeal a bit, and then it escalated into including some shading. Having just made a pot of coffee, I dipped my brush into the coffee and gave him some brown stains to complete the sketch. I know he doesn’t look it, but now he smells good – like a caramel macchiato latte.
Since he was painted with coffee, now it will hard to resist licking the paper. Sigh.
Some cats sit all alone in the moonlight, and can smile at the old days; they were beautiful then and remember a time they knew what happiness was, and they let the memory live again.* Other cats just like making new memories such as climbing on birthday cakes.
This was a little birthday piece I did for a good friend who has three cats. I may have made up their color schemes, though. Unless these are what Jellicle cats really look like, then the colors were very specific and intentional.
I don’t know about songs, but for sure Jellicle cakes are for Jellicle cats.
*Yes, those are lyrics borrowed from the song Memory in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.
Yes, that day has arrived once again where we shamelessly tell someone we think they are neat-o with a card featuring a silly cartoon drawing and a heart-shaped box of chocolates mostly filled with sweet stuff nobody likes until they find the one with caramel. Nothing can relay our heartfelt intentions more sincerely than that……until the showoff comes along who makes us all look bad by hiring a skywriter to declare their love in a message in a puff of pollution for all in a 5 mile radius to see.
So, to get you started on your day of wooing, here are a couple of cupids ready to rise to the occasion…
You know, lately I have been working on a lot of art that I cannot share at the moment. There are a couple of extensive projects I have going on all at once, and all of it has to be kept under wraps until it doesn’t have to be secret anymore. As a result, I have been lax in posting any new art here on the ol’ blog. So, how about something old that hasn’t seen the light of day before?
I was looking through my archives and came across this fun little character watercolor painting of Disney’s Goofy. I don’t know about you, but Goofy always puts a smile on my face. He is full of an optimistic innocence that can just make me giddy and feel good. I always have fun sketching him, and apparently one day back in 2009, I put paint to paper to create this version of the lanky one.
So enjoy, and always remember it is okay to just be goofy!
Even if you don’t know him, just smile and wave back to be safe.
HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody!!!! Now, for the next month or so, try real hard to not write 2014 on letters, checks, or other important documents. I’m still trying to stop writing 2013, but it is much easier to make a 3 look like a 5 than it is to do so to a 4, so I’ll be okay.
I had the good fortune to visit the country of Russia last year during the summer when the weather was nice. There were hot days, and there were warm days, but was reminded several times by the locals that the winters are long and cold there. I also was told that Christmas isn’t celebrated there so much as New Years is.
So, here is a little painting of the New Year’s celebration in Russia. Go nuts, guys, and dream of summer!
