One of my upcoming gigs is a little different than usual. I was hired to Photograph the Guests for 1/2 Hour, and then spend 2 Hours drawing Individual Caricatures based on my Photos ~ while the Guests will be attending a lecture in a different room. I don't expect to get much animation in the pictures ~ not only because I am Not a photographer, but also because it's supposed to be a quick tap on my phone.

My Client also said she would most likely want a Tame style like she saw me do at a recent Party. Oh dear ~ I hope I'll remember how I swung into that request previously. I remember feeling surprised with how comfortably successfully I was drawing at that previous Event. But it was done in person ~ Not from photographs that time.

So okay. This probably won't be too hard, but I'll have to Produce. So I grabbed Reference Photos at random to practice. To warm up before the Event.

I planned on timing myself as I did the Linework on each one ~ keeping it moving ~ and then going back in to each one with Shading. But that didn't happen. As usual, once I start doing something, issues come up which change what I'm interested in.

The first one I drew ~ 2 and a half minutes of linework ~ that one looks like the reference photo. Not too strong of a likeness, but it would get a good laugh because I easily picked up on unique things that his face does.

But uhoh ~ I'm not sure about how it would go over at the Event. Because my Client had said Tame, and the people wouldn't Be there for me to guage their responses and adjust myself as I go along. It is very Tame and simple to me, but I don't know if my Client meant Generic when she said Tame. So I drew it again.

The 2nd one I drew ~ also 2andaHalf minutes ~ trying to tone down the expression ~ perhaps make it a little more angular ~ that one doesn't look anything like him. And it's still not 'Flattering', aka nothing too interesting. This approach definitely will Not do.

So I tried the same reference photo a 3rd time. Staying Generic, and also Changing the strong action of his Eyes. Aaaand ignoring the nose-lines that pull into the forehead . Lol ~ that one looks most like him but who would want it? So boring. What sort of effect would it have on me to draw like that for 2 Very Focused Hours Oh. And I didn't even remember to Time this one. Because I probably spent more than 2-and-a-half minutes just looking at it and trying to figure out what else I could do with it besides what I actually See. And I also used a slight Predraw on this one. Only on this 3rd one.

and the studies go on.....

Continued: Okay. I'm feeling very ready and happily confident for drawing the Caricatures at the upcoming Party where I will be drawing from Photographs. I feel like it's going to b easy-peezy Fun afterall.

I had been feeling a little wobbly because my Client set up the Entertainment much differently than is usually done. So I practiced at home to make sure of my approach.

I had felt confounded with the first one I drew ~ I thought it was because the Client made me feel like I would have to control it too much. I tried the first one 3 times.

But apparently, I wasn't the problem. The difficulty with the first Caricature was just because that One was a difficult one. All the rest went bip-bip-bup. If anything, the reason I stopped my easy pace was because my mind started wanderng. It's like 3am here already. Long day.

I hope I will be allowed to go through all the Photos as linework this way, and then go back into them with shading.

one of the Digital IPad Caricatures that I drew at today's Event

Refocusing for Tomorrow's Event ~ Teacher Appreciation. This time of year, when it feels like most of my gigs are Communions ~ meaning that most of my focus is on Children ~ I'm getting into form for drawing All Grown-Ups.

I could do anything to shift my focus. This time, I chose to draw lips