Hagerstown, Indiana

We were celebrating the town of Hagerstown.  No anniversary, no particular heroic deed, just the resourceful, enduring folks of Hagerstown.  Love it!

I drew seventeen people in probably an hour.  I say “probably” because for a while there were drops and we made adjustments under our tents and umbrellas, reminding ourselves that real rain was scheduled for much later.  Errr, not so.  The clouds moved in forthwith and everybody had to close shop.

Still, I value the drawing opportunity and I enjoyed the people watching.

Thank you Robin!

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Why Color? It’s all about Hair.

We’re back on Mt. Adams in Cincinnati.

https://katherinehilden.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/the-view-at-mount-adams-cincinnati/

Here are four I didn’t show in the last post. And that’s because for these, color was crucial.  It’s all about hair.

I love drawing a couple where he is bald and she has long blond hair.  But this only works in color.  Imagine if her strands of wafting hair behind his dome were just horizontal wavy lines.  Wouldn’t work.  But in color the effect is, as the woman obviously thought, hilarious.

Similarly with redheads.  This drawing works so well because my markers can celebrate the orange and gold of his hair and—please, notice—the thick fuzz on his arms. And then, the contrast between the two people can only be brought out in color.

Dear fans, color takes only a little longer then black/white. Not much.  Working in color does not involve “coloring in.”  From the very beginning, it’s a different way of working.  I can say so much in color, that in b/w couldn’t be said at all or only with a lot of extra –and time-consuming—lines.

Think color!

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The View at Mount Adams, Cincinnati

Forget Paris. Forget Rome. The Côte d’Azur? Santorini?  Don’t make me yawn.  For a real party, take me to Cincinnati.

The View at Mt. Adams is the place to see and be seen.

It’s on Celestial Street. Indeed!

We were celebrating the retirement of a top executive of an international firm.

The design of the restaurant itself is formal.

But for this party the sartorial message was upscale casual. Why not?  Since upscale is your element anyway, come as you are: elegant and relaxed.

I enjoyed drawing these people. Can you tell,  they enjoyed it, too?

The party went from 7 to 11.  The hilarity around me made me reach for magenta a lot.  The executives got plaid golf shorts, bellybuttons galore.  Then as the evening wore on  more flesh got exposed.  In the drawings only!!!! Please, blame the markers.

More on this party and drawing techniques in the next post.

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French Quarter in West Lafayette

You’re working at a software designing company in West Lafayette that’s going to celebrate its 15^th birthday.  Not a big company, not big enough to have a human resource department.  But one of the bosses picks you to plan this party.  There must be something about you that makes him confident that you’ll come up with a good idea.

And you do.  The office building you’re in has an atrium lobby.  Hello!  It’s a space that’s begging for strings of lights.  What about a French Quarter street in New Orleans?!  The strings of lights will bring the ceiling down to a more intimate level.  Put in some plants to create narrow passages.  Order spicy Cajun food, find a band to play Zydeco,  hire a juggler with a black and white striped shirt  and, if you’re lucky, a caricaturist who speaks some French.  You’re so lucky!

I wore my velour French beret and rolled my R’s,  spoke French the whole evening and fooled most of the people most of the time until.  Errr, until someone sat in front of me who had spent junior year abroad –in France.   My rolled R’s met their match in her superior vocabulary.  Loved it!

See this?  This is what it’s all about.  People lose it.  Howling laughter and people literally rolling off their chairs.

Thank you, Erin!

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Caricatures from Photos

It’s time I outlined for everybody what’s involved if you want a caricature from a photo.

1) The process starts with you emailing me photos of the face(s).

2) I make two pencil sketches of the face(s) and email those to you to choose from. You can ask for a change. Once you approve the face(s) half of the total cost is due.  Here’s what the first stage for the above group drawing looked like:

3) You describe the activity or occasion to be celebrated.

4) I cut and pasted the heads and make the pencil sketch of the bodies.

5) After you approve every detail in the sketch and specify the colors of hair, eyes and clothing, the balance is due.

6) I trace the pencil sketch exactly on the final paper and add color.

7) I mail you the drawing in a tube.

8) You tell everybody how brilliant you are for having found me.

The process can take as little as one week.

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Go Pacers!

We were toasting Pacer fans and sponsors.  It was a hospitality bash at Prime 47 on Pennsylvania

Avenue in down town Indianapolis. Photogenic people as far as the eye could see. Great evening.  Thank you, Cara!

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Valentine’s Day Party in Danville

This Valentine’s Day celebration was held in the party room at Danville Nursing Home for the residents there. All but two residents were in wheel chairs, some had oxygen tubes.  I mention this merely to set the scene a bit, since I am only posting pictures of my drawings, not the people.  But you will immediately recognize my approach here:  I drew everybody young, energetic and glamorous. I was rewarded with quick giggles, some admiration of my technique and “you made me look the way I was when I was young.”  Right, Richard, you got it.  That was my take on this crowd. Nursing homes are always rewarding to work in.  I always learn and go home with things to reflect on.  Thank  you, Pat, Kerri and Jesse!

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