I don't respect Caricatures that are just kinda stereotyped eyes, nose, and mouth on a face shape. That's like 3rd-grader's artwork (please Excuse this generalization). 3rd grad is a time when, because of their comfort with Reading alphabet symbols, their artwork gets symbolized. Symbolic. Certain lines represent certain sounds. And other lines represent certain Pictures.

So just go forward or back. Trying to break away from that, I try to focus on what I really see (but oh eye-function is also connnected to the brain, but that's another story). I try to focus on either See what a Camera would see, or I try to let myself get back to a pre-reading mentality ~ to draw like a 2-year-old. Neither sybolizing 'the face', nor symbolizing the Shapes that we'd see in a photograph. But getting back to that nebula of pure unlabeled vision.

I find this sort of fine-featured face difficult to Cariature ` especially in the Front View. But that's all I saw as I watched this woman speak on YouTube. I guess I could have emphasized the op-shape of her nostril ~ because it's 'different' ~ but that didn't really affect me. So I didn't force a 'funny' by doing that. Unnecessary. I don't have to make anyone laugh.

There I was, pen moving as usual. While watching YouTubes. I tried to 'save' my first picture by adding in a little Color. The Artwork is so Plain ~ almost as bad as the Caricaturists that 'fill in the blanks. But good. It looks like her. Then I tried the simplistic approach differently in the 2nd picture that I drew here. Giving up, Not Outlining. Not setting up for 'the blanks', and I felt like this 2nd drawing is so much more organic. Evolved. Confident. Not bored.

But eeeks. When I look at the final Results, the 2nd one doesn't necessarily Look Better than the first one. Only different. Complicating my life to Be a Real Artist ~ is just making my job harder. It was to just draw the first Caricature.

If I could REALLY get back to the Pre-Symbolic Brain, that would have been worthwhile. For me. If I ever felt like taking the Tiiiiiiime and Effort for it. But the Result would not have been Saleable. And it would not have been usable at a Party ~ when I have to Produce (how many can you do per hour?), and I have to connect with my audience (can't only focus inwards). So I wonder ~ why bother with the 'better' vews that are usable commercially ~ ~ when I could just as well 'just do it'

Wow ~ Through the Past ~ back to the Beginning of my Digital Artwork.

I felt like last night's 'Gold' painting looked more like shiny colored Glass. I felt like giving in to some simple, not based on seeing, formula to paint Gold. That needed a Gradient.

No gradient in Fresco. I don't think there's one in Procreate either. So where was that? Where did i used to make Gradients? Photoshop? No ~ I never got in to really Painting in Photoshop. Aha! Back to Art Studio. The very first app that I used to use ~ haha ~ get this ~ i actually used to suffer through Art Studio At Gigs! with those rubber tipped balloony pens.

So now, not only all the choices for Colors and Opacities and other Properties and BrusheS, I realized that we can also jump back and forth through apps.

I pulled last night's background into Art Studio, and I made the simplest Gradient with the simplest hilights and shadows ~ nothing about real reflections ~ and it looks Gold. What I was aiming for.

Lesson? If I'm making stuff up out of my head, Keep It Simple. On the other hand, if im Really Looking at An Object, then I can really notice the surprising nuances that are Really there.

It was only a few months ago that there was no problem about going into Manhattan to draw the staff in a Meeting Room. Or to a local restaurant our here on Long Island. Without Masks. Here are a few of the Caricatures that I drew at 2 separate Events. We had a great time.

I am still drawing Office Staff. But these days it's done from photographs that they send me. I can spend more time on each picture, really get in to the Artwork. I enjoy the pleasures of drawing. But I don't get the social pleasure of seeing the Guests immediate reactions.

I like it both ways. I like drawing remotely, but I also miss the interactions of drawing in person.

What's with all the Celebrities? Today I chose to revisit my own people ~ I had previously drawn these women on paper with markers during Parties ~ yes we really used to have Parties ~ but today I drew the Caricatures on my Ipad. 2 different styles. One more serious than the other.

I really like drawing on my IPad. And I really like drawing with Markers. at Parties. Some day ~ ~ ~

and meanwhile, i feel happy to draw them from photographs. Makes fun gifts