Jeff Gould

Wow...not drawing for awhile did show on the first try yesterday. It was so bad that I shredded it as soon as I finished this one today that I'm happy with. But even this one took many many erases and start-overs. 

I've known Jeff for 8 years, and I thought it'll be easier. But no, I sat for double the time and it felt like I lost the drawing ability and I just could not get it right. After countless tries, I guess my hands finally warmed up, and it started getting closer in baby steps. 

I did this one slowly and left all the pencil lines there without erasing anything, and just emphasized features/shadows with black Prismacolor pencil. To make it go with his dress-all-black style. The only color is his eyes, very subtle blueish green. 

Lydia Ma

Knowing Lydia a bit before Ting Lin and John Author, but I had a harder time drawing her. Because I rarely see her at the voice-over recording sessions unlike John and Ting who were always there. Also she likes to hide behind her huge pitch black or reflective sunglasses or looked away if there's a photo of her at all.

Luckily with Ting's help, finally I got a close-up picture of her face facing the camera and her eyes also looking into the camera. I based her facial features on that photo, but her holding a wine glass pose was based from another photo but looking away at the wine bottle. I took cues from her instagram photos that this Lydia lady is a wine addict so I had to draw that in added with her sassy attitude and her sassy hair.

After the pencil outline, the style formed and I felt this one should be left with simple black outline to fit the sassy attitude, so I did. And I added the hair coloring afterwards for balance so it's more dynamic on the top area and focus on her face and not bottom heavy with elbow and her left hand touching the bottom and side edges.

Ting Lin

Knowing Ting and John Arthur at the same time, but drawing Ting was not a complete smooth because I had one complete erase after the whole face's pencil line's almost done. I blamed coffee. I had one right before I sat down and it just carried me all the way to the end, my hand literally couldn't even stop and look from afar to see if it looks right. And I thought I was on fire and just gotten so good at it now. Um no. 

I didn't know Ting has her Ting's Test Kitchen business until I checked her Facebook for this drawing, and that's just perfect theme for her. And it was awesome there's another photo of her holding a cupcake at her work desk, so I combined her Test Kitchen biz headshot with her cupcake holding picture. And since there's no photo of her with her legs, I thought just to give her an apron and make it more focus on her and her business presented on her hands.

For Ting's drawing, I tried to do it different from John's, so I took cues from her biz headshot and used strong block colors with Sharpies, but I made a mistake of testing the color with just little doodling, so her face and body's orange color is just a bit too strong when finished, she literally looked like an orange. So to rescue it, I used white color pencil to shade it lighter, and I ended up cutting her off of the white cardstock and pasted it on a roll of brown wrapping paper that happened to make all her colors pop compared to other color cardstocks I have, and pasted it again on white cardboard for thickness support. This mistake I love.

John Miyagi Author

John's drawing also came smoothly on the first time I tried without erase, I guess since I've known John for quite some years now, so his character's been working in my head.

Going through John's Facebook photos and saw a close up selfie of him with a bit of neck and shoulder showing with no clothes on in the middle of nowhere kind of calm water with a far far away island, that reminded me of the TV show 'The Last Man On Earth' that I liked, it gave me the spark and the drawing began. 

And the boat's from another photo of his from other travel destination, so it was perfect for me to combine since the selfie photo didn't capture anything below his shoulder, and the very tanned orange is also from another photo of his probably taken in his office, either he drew himself on it or his colleague drew it, also another perfect fit for this The Last Man On Earth theme that I wanted.

John also has two different photos holding white coffee mug with different hands, so I was sure that's what he would want to do in this "Last Author On Earth" situation. 

Joe Ciccarone

I thought it'd be hellish again to start a new drawing after another 6 months of creative hibernation, but it came out easier than other natural birth of my drawings because there was no hard pushing. Finished from the very first rough pencil line without erase, and only referenced from two clear photos that I could find on KMR's Facebook.

I think it's because I've known Joe for a few years now, so his being has been working in my head. I wanted to do a drawing of him awhile back to thank him for being super supportive of me, but I'm glad I waited. 

His face's from his formal wear with a tie picture at a KMR's holiday dinner a couple years back, and his body's from his KMR's halloween costume competition picture as Randy Savage this year. I changed MACHO MAN to 'TIS MACHO JOE. on his shirt.

Valerie Chiovetti

Val's drawing came from 3 photos combined. One is this open face with a smile/smirk plus a slight attitude with her mischievous flying blonde hair which I thought is very cute and fun. Another one is her sexy shoulder from another picture, and pointing hand with the sign's from another picture.

I changed the sign from "keep Calm and Carry On" to what's now in the drawing because Val's a diehard member of her University of Arizona Wildcat For Life (I almost wanted to draw that logo on her forehead). And she has a photo of herself with a cap with High Maintenance spelled with diamond, so I gotta put them all together. I felt like adding sexy because of her blonde hair, black eyeliner, red lips, and fair skin kind of reminded me of Marilyn Monroe look in the 50's.

The only thing I felt not completely satisfied with this drawing is that I was trying to go about a different style of drawing so I didn't do as much detail on the face as I used to. But then I didn't fully make it the way I felt this 50's look should go.

I forgot to scan the drawing before I gave it to Val, so it's a picture taken with blue-ish day light.

Doug Mangskau and his team

Looking through Casting Director Doug Mangskau's Facebook pictures was fun because he'd captured funny moments of his team members. And that's exactly what I needed.

Whoever got Trevor (far left) to act in front of the blue wall in the audition room like us actors do was a genius, because all these years going to Eastside Studios I didn't even know Trevor exists casting alongside Doug until last year. He hides in the casting office at all times and seem shy. So, this one and only funny picture of Trevor set the tone for the rest of my drawing choices.

And I was so happy to find Eron and Shayda's funny moments that will accompany Trevor's very convincing acting instruction. Doug is the only sane one in all the pictures, so he's leading the team for this drawing. Eron is the session photographer, and it's so perfect to see a picture of himself pointing camera at himself. And it's so fun to see Shayda's goofy side in many Doug's photos, because she is the session runner in the audition room and she's usually serious trying to get talents in and out smoothly. Drawing her blonde hair made me want to go blonde.

Super fun drawing them, started exactly from left to right, Trevor to Shayda, with very few erases. I think having enough of pictures to choose from helps so much to tell the story. it just pops up to me when looking through them.

The McRae Clan

This drawing was done for Casting Director Yvonne for her family holiday card last Christmas, and it's so fun to receive one in the mail, too. 

I had a fun time drawing the goofy kids and it came weirdly easy for me even though I've never met them in person. But I feel very guilty I didn't draw Yvonne and Holland as beautiful and handsome as they are both in person and in photos. I did very many re-drawings but I just couldn't get their essence right.

This is a challenge I hope to overcome and repost to show the difference some time soon.

I hope next time I see Holland he'd explain how much he loves eating shave-ice that he wears a Shave Ice cap in almost every picture Yvonne sent me. I found it funny so I kept his Shave Ice cap on before Santa hat.

Carol Scott 2

Obviously "Practice Makes Perfect" is not happening here, my drawing skill is going backwards big time for 9 freaking months slacking off. Drawing Carol for the second time is harder than the first time 3 years ago, and it took me the longest ever...

This took me months between trying and failing and sleeping on it. I'm punished by not practicing often enough, and I lost count of how many times I erased everything or started brand new papers. I could feel the creative angel was just not giving me. And then just before I called it for another fail day, I got it before I even realized I got it with a rough outline.

After finished, I was hoping to cut the drawing like I did with Michael Parisi (previous post) and put a solid color as a background but much pencil lines make it impossible, so I tried something new with pink and orange color grid. It's color of Carol in my mind.

Michael Parisi

Couldn't get the feeling right on Michael all day yesterday gave me depression. Thank goodness I had two glasses of wine last night before bed so I could sleep. Drawing continued today and still so many complete erases until towards almost the end of the day, I finally got it right before I felt I'm gonna vomit blood from my internal organs due to exhaustion like those in Chinese Kung-Fu movies when helping reviving someone by giving all your energy.

I was super elated when it's finally coming together. Because this time is strange, I got it by tiny tweaks of here and there instead of erase the whole thing and start fresh like I usually do. Very weird and different process for me. 

I didn't dare to add any color at this point, so left it simple pencil drawing but I cut out the head and added the ivory color card as background. Also added letterset lettering that I've never done on portrait before, fun!

Alicia Ruskin

Alicia has only 1 tiny picture on the whole world wide web. So thank goodness I remember watching a video of her and other commercial agents answering questions regarding commercial representation.

So, I watched the video on youtube again and paused at different places, and screen captured the expression I liked, and the drawing began. And later I found few more photos of her from KMR Talent Agency's facebook, I added her buddy Winslow into the picture.

Drawing Alicia was easier than I thought because I didn't get to interact with her much, so watching her through the video the first time a long time ago helped a lot with already having the feeling of her in my head, and now watched it for the second time making it easier without needing many photo references.

Brooke Nuttall Connor

Brooke's drawing came without any erase, I was so surprised. I think it was because I already looked through her pictures and they've grown in my head for a couple of days before I started the pencil line.

After looking through her photos, you might wish to be her kid. She lives and breathes Lars. So, everything in the drawing was for Lars, the cake, the sippy cup, the beach ball, even the beach chairs in the back were at Disney Aulani. 

Her bubble talk came easy as well. As soon as I finished the drawing, that's what looks to me what she would say.

Jamie Hernandez Pritchard

Jamie was the hardest ever to draw compared to all people I've drawn in the past. I suspect it's because she basically looks like a doll with perfect round eyes and I usually start drawing peoples' eyes first. When the feeling of the eyes' right, everything falls in places easily.

This is also the first time I had so many erases to restart from blank beyond I could keep count, and it took many photos to assemble this drawing. The face and hair are from different photos. The body and legs are also from different photos.

Her Piñata costume was too cute to not draw her in, and filling those colors was fun because it was the only time my brain could shut down and just filling in colors.

Overall it's a challenge, I almost didn't think I could draw her after days of trying.

Dan Bell

It was difficult to find Casting Director Dan's photos online, so I asked him for it and he gave me a few... and the photos reminded me he's currently going after Gandalf look... But it's really no fun drawing Gandalf or Santa with beard cover half of his face.

So I had to dig harder again online for his younger looks... and I ended up watching Wayne's World and screen captured him. 

I liked this look from the film the most, and I added his glasses from his current photo and gave him stubbeard. I think he can still rock this look if he's willing to trim his Gandalf beard.

Katie Taylor

Drawing Casting Director Katie was quite a challenge because we had very few interaction with very few minutes each time, so I had to study her from all her photos like an investigator trying to analyze somebody... 

It was fun drawing her big deep blue mischievous eyes with her stuntwoman energy waiting patiently for show time!

Cathi Carlton

The most fun part drawing Casting Director Cathi was when drawing her ruleless hair. It's so casual and chill with blond Goddess attitude and volume... my brown color pencil was dancing bold and fast when outlining her hair, it got carried away I had to stop my hand.

I liked that contrast with the delicate details on her face. 

Carol Scott

My print agent Carol Scott at cesd. Her cotton-candy like soft and sweet "Hi Honey" greeting over the phone always makes me conscious of my manly voice. Maybe I should call her more.

Tibet Series - Wool Vendor

This was one of my favorite street vendors in Tibet. I love these two beautifully dyed wool blankets handmade by local Tibetan. I also love how these wool products happened to be presented in three tiers. On the top was the fully processed wool blankets, in the middle were the semi-processed wool thread bundles on the table, and on the ground were sacks of raw wool that looked like they just got shorn off of the sheep. 


The vendor was the happiest vendor I've ever seen, she's proud of her wool. So were the sheep.

Tibet Series - A Thangka Artist at Work

This is one of my favorite photo moments. I was walking in an alley and saw this Thangka artist working on his Thangka on the floor with his full concentration. It's very interesting to watch him because that full concentration was very beautiful, and the energy's attractive. While I was watching how this artist was fully into his art, his kid was watching me watching them with a playful hide and seek look. He was very cute and very well-behaved. He's playing quietly in between piled up furnitures and behind the Thangka canvas without disturbing the artist in any way with any sound. I wondered what was so fun behind there.

Tibet Series - She's a Professional

This older Tibetan lady was a professional, she's cleaning miles long (I might be exaggerating) prayer wheels under harsh sunshine in July Tibet. The partial row of sparkling clean prayer wheels caught my eyes from afar, and so I approached closer to see if she missed any spot...


After the inspection with my critical eyes, I was amazed with her dedication on offering her services because she's so focused that she didn't miss any spot under that kind of heat. And when I asked her if I can take pictures of her, she turned in a model in a snap. She immediately opened her beautiful smile with perfect white teeth, leaned her upper body just slightly enough to give a bit of nice turn-around movement kind of angle, she knew her pose, she's a professional.

Tibet Series - Happy Groceries

There were a lot of Tibetans selling groceries on the wheel. But this particular Tibetan woman was the happiest of all. I'd seen her interacting with customers and without, and she forever had that genuine pleasant happiness on her face. She made me want to buy her happy groceries. 


The grocery part was done in watercolor, and the rest was pencil on March 5th, 2011.

Tibet Series - Beggar Kid

This stranger kid came into my face while I was eating my breakfast. I had no clue what he wanted from me since he came so near to my face where I could only see him in headshot close of distance. Plus he confused me with his neat and clean wardrobe like a kid model just stepped out of a print shoot for Gap. His face was white and clean except a string of snot coming down his nose. I couldn't understand his non-stop mumbling for quite a while until I leaned back a bit with wonders, then I saw the whole picture.  


The whole picture of how he's actually a beggar kid, moving his hands up and down signaling me to give him money while his filthy little fingers held a stack of bills that he could barely keep together. All the sudden I grew enormous sympathy towards a woman who's passing by trying to sell newspapers table by table. She only had one note in her hand...

Tibet Series - Golden Yak Butter

I guess I'm numb to packaged goods in our modern society, and this trip to Tibet I was easily fascinated by raw materials and goods with organic forms. This tiny shop with only one person turn-around space was filled with all kinds of packaged products like liquor, cigarettes, instant noodles and varieties of snacks and sodas. And the only product that was sold without any packaging and wrappers was these blocks of rich bright yellow yak butter that were bigger than the owner's head. 


I found all the beautifully printed wrapped goods looked rather dull comparing to the exposed blocks of yak butter. That organic form and human touched texture on those yak butter evoked my shopping interest. How nice it is to be able to see, smell, touch and ask exactly the part you want to buy.


The shop owner was not that happy because she saw how I was eyes wide opened by those yak butter but knowing only locals would buy them. I could feel her, she wanted to charge me for taking photos of her golden yak butter.


This illustration was done in just pencil and yellow art markers. On Feb. 25th, 2011.

Tibet Series - A Real Noodle Shop

I just love how this noodle shop is unassuming.


This is a shop in a busy market in Lhasa, and it caught my attention because there's no any kind of advertisement. There's no store sign indicating what they're selling, and the owner's not even in sight. But standing in front of the shop, you see it clear; that one and only display case in the storefront filled with all kinds of noodles without any unnecessary packaging. It's truly what-you-see-is-what-you-get. And the rest of the shop filled with equipments and tools and ingredients, you can be sure they're professional because they only make noodles.


This is the kind of shop I'd go for my noodles. All the makings are directly from the shop itself, and I don't need to pay more for packaging that I can't eat that'll end up in the trash and become pollution in our landfills.


While I was appreciating this raw noodle shop, I noticed there's this very chilled Chihuahua sitting on the storefront step without making any movement for the whole time I was looking around. He had a Tibetan style collar around his neck claiming he's local, and he looked at me in a way as he ok'd my visit but not happily. I think he's cuckoo in the head, he thought he's a Tibetan mastiff.


This illustration was done in art markers on Jan. 14th, 2011.

Tibet Series - Yaks See Me

A mom and her kid. They walked peacefully and I was following them quietly... Boy, they had good hearing, they both turned and looked at me with a hateful stare like they're the celebrities and I'm a paparazzi. So, I sensed the tension but at the same time quickly clicked, clicked, clicked taking their photos and ran away.


I wished I can ask them couple of questions, like where they're heading? What for? Where's the dad? What's it like to be a yak? But with that stare, they probably would tell me to get the f**k out of their sight if they could speak. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to talk to animals? So that we can know things directly from their perspective.


I started this illustration with washed-out India ink to create that grey background, and then drew the yaks and trees with color pencils. This was done on Dec. 17th, 2010.

Tibet Series - Debating Monks

I was impressed with all the debating monks in the debating courtyard of Sera Monastery. Because they had to concentrate on debating while being watched and photographed by a huge circle of tourists all along the courtyard walls standing or sitting or walking around with the camera in hand like visitors in a zoo. 


Gosh I felt bad for the monks couldn't be left alone! But I couldn't stop myself and my camera moving closer and closer to them. I hope they didn't notice me. Especially this group had a lot more monks involved, and they're so focused that the whole time I was watching them, I didn't see anybody look away towards tourists. The kind of focus drew me in, I liked that energy right there. The kind of focused energy made all noises around them disappear. 


This illustration was done on Dec.11, 2010.

Tibet Series - Walking Prayer Flags

Was it a pure coincident or the Tibetan Gods were trying to tell me something? I was just walking on a street filled with passersby, and this very quiet group of pilgrims sitting at a door front made my eyes shift back at them... because five of them wore the colors of blue, white, red, green and yellow, just like the prayer flags in my "Talking Prayer Flags" post. 


This combination of colors really got me for some reason, I guessed the Tibetan Gods were trying to tell me that I was a Tibetan in my previous life. This illustration was done mostly in brown-color erasable pencil on Nov. 29, 2010.

Tibet Series - Religious Goats

For some reason, there were a lot of goats walking around temples. And I always happened to see them in pairs, very interesting! Unlike other goats, Tibetan goats acted serious as they knew their very own destiny. Even the direction they're headed, they seemed to know better than people. 


I liked this weathered yet peaceful scene with absolute quietness at Drepung Monastery with nobody in sight but two goats heading to somewhere important on their own. Their sincere in walking leading by their instinct made me want to follow them. But I got caught up in watching them until they disappeared in my sight, I forgot about the following.


This illustration was done in Pantone art markers on Nov. 23, 2010. 

Tibet Series - The Chosen Ones

When I first saw these rock paintings at Drepung Monastery, I thought that's interesting how even non-living things like stubborn rocks can be chosen and became alive. 


These three huge rocks were positioned next to each other in such a harmony, as if they were placed there on purpose by the monks. It didn't make any sense compared to the surroundings, but I liked to think it's some result of supernature.


I believed the rocks were empowered by the painted Tibetan Gods, and they were glowing in slight red, blue, and yellow. Them and the prayer flags around were the only ones alive in color, us and goats turned black and white.

Tibet Series - Sleepless Potala Palace

Potala Palace was not only magnificent in the morning but also quite dazzling at night, definitely not less than Las Vegas. The only difference was Potala Palace's dazzling felt like an energy coming from inside out so powerful that made the walls so solid bright and shine in every inch. 


It was dark at night and I was standing on top of a building, and Potala Palace looked like a gigantic lighthouse in the middle of an ocean.  I was not a pilgrim, but even I felt I found the way when I saw the glowing calling.


I was really curious what kind of super lighting technology the Palace used, they probably wouldn't tell. Or could it be the work of all Tibetan Gods who live there? I believed the later.


This drawing was done in India ink and art markers and color pencils. I love drawing everything on marker paper, so the water-mixed ink wrinkled my drawing and I liked it.

Tibet Series - Talking Prayer Flags

It was 2007 I visited Tibet, but these drawings didn't come out until 2010. This first drawing "Talking Prayer Flags" was done on Nov.11, 2010 in my favorite Pantone art markers. 


I was strolling into busy and crowded Chong-Xei-Kon pedestrian market located in Lhasa, and what soon attracted my whole being was rather a quiet push-stand with peaceful looking yet lively feeling prayer flags. They made me stop and stare for a while. The sunshine happened to only shine on these opened prayer flags displayed in the front of the stand.


....blue sky, white cloud, red protecting god, green water, and yellow land, I felt the scriptures on flags were mumbling to each other... I hope they were not talking something bad about me.

Twinkie Byrd - I Am Can't

So after I landed La La Land last month, Twinkie was the first Casting Director I met in LA. And I remember my first impression of her was her cool afro like the picture you see here... I almost wanted to lean forward and touch it but I'm too short. Because I've always wanted to try out different hairdos especially like afro or dreadlocks, so that people won't miss me passing by. :)


I drew Twinkie in the shirt that I was in for audition as a hip I.T. Girl, and she really loved the shirt. So I thought before I can go back to Taiwan and find one for her, I can use my drawing skill to draw her with the shirt to have the satisfaction in the eyes.


Plus, I listened to one of her interviews last month on the 18th on blogtalkradio.com, and her advice for new comers to the "Ocean" (La La Land) is only true and honest. I'm glad that I listened to it. And I love her energy and laughs, I can even feel it when looking at her through this picture. 


'I Am Can't' is her soon coming book, I'm looking forward to reading it. Because I'm interested in knowing how she went through all those "no, you can't do it" and she's now very successful. 

Caricature Portrait - Chong Lee

I haven't drawn anybody for awhile, I did this yesterday for a friend Chong, the cinematographer for SF Stories movie. It was really fun/challenge drawing him because it took me several erases until I nailed it, and it's so interesting to me that as soon as the right feeling's captured on the face, every line and movement of the rest of the body just followed easily without suffering any further erase. It felt like as if the soul got in the character and my hand just started finishing what needed to be done. The caricature then felt alive to me.

Anyone want to have their caricature portrait done? Send me a message! I love to do caricature portraits that show the characters' personalities and emotions, no exaggeration on physical features other than big head and small body ;)

Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip Sunday Strip

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Commissioned ACEO

     

This was a commissioned illustration for Shelle, who's also an artist having her own store on Etsy. I had such a fun time illustrating her two beautiful daughters! I felt I've known them for such a long time after reading their pictures, understanding they gestures, knowing what they like and not, and then drawing them out from all I observed and what I felt. I love the process and I love how when each line and stroke matched what I felt about their personalities precisely.


Each took way more time than I thought, but what makes it worthy for me is always the feeling of the illustration delivered perfectly as how I wanted. And now I understand why a lot of artists are hungry. ;) 

       

Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 11

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 10

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 9

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 8

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 7

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SF Stories Postcard for Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Now with the date, time, and location confirmed on PAAFF's website, I finished the postcard as well! 

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 6

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 5

This is a San Francisco local strip! I LOVE San Francisco, but not so much for its fog storm. (click on strip to zoom in.)

Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 4

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Maddie + Eagul Comic Strip 3

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