Unmasking Dr. Phibes Part 2

Okay, so now it's time to let the lights shine. I squint at the reference photos to determine where the light areas really stand out. Squinting makes it easier to recognize the tones as either light, middle or dark. Using an electric eraser, I begin by blocking out the areas that are going to be lighter. You'll notice that these are mostly small areas. In the following step, these will be softened to create a real sense of depth.

Now a kneaded eraser is used to gently soften the edges of the highlights, and lighten up larger areas. This often requires a good amount of push-and-pull, but the end result creates the illusion of depth that is vital to a pencil or charcoal sketch such as this...

Finally, some last minutes rendering of the darkest darks...and a fair amount of erasing to clean up the areas surrounding the character(s), and the sketch is complete. Oh, except for the signature, of course...

...and the notorious Dr. Phibes rises again, to be matted and framed in the den of a very happy client! Thanks again to Sketchy Things fan John Lee for his wonderful taste in subject matter!

Unmasking Dr. Phibes Part 1

A terrific fan from Kentucky just recently gave me the opportunity to create a truly unique sketch of Vincent Price from one of my favorite films, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES. John Lee of Bardstown commissioned a drawing based on his own concept...the hideously scarred Anton Phibes holding up the mask of his own visage. I immediately loved the idea, and began the process of bringing John's concept to visual life. It began, as always, with a rough sketch, to determine the composition of the piece...

Once I was certain that the proportions were correct, I began filling in a middle tone over the entire drawing. This was accomplished with a Mars Lumograph 100 B pencil, the only pencil I would use throughout the entire sketch. The tone is gently feathered in, and then rubbed down with my fingers to acheive a nice soft and even middle tone.

Once that is done, I begin to render in the darker tones, and commit to the holding lines that will define the contours of the character. It is important to keep the entire drawing at the same level of completion. Not to finish one area and then return to the rest. This is a sure fire way to insure that each and every part of your sketch relates to the entire image.

Up next...the application of the lighter tones...

Wonderfest 2008

What a couple of months.

First the surgery, then right into DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, then right onto a Dreamworks animated short, and finally on to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2008 Wonderfest Model & Toy Expo. I've been a guest at this event for the last decade, and I enjoy it more every year.

The other guests this year included Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and beautiful Linda Harrison from PLANET OF THE APES, plus my good friends Bob and Kathy Burns, John Goodwin and bloodbrothers William Stout and Bernie Wrightson. I once again had the pleasure of performing with Doctor Gangrene and Nurse Moan-Eek in their Chiller Cinema live show, and spent a good deal of time hob-nobbing with all the great folks in The Old Dark Clubhouse. Thanks go out to Gary Prange for hosting the ODCH, and special thanks to Dave Hodge, Dave Conover, Donnie Waddell and the entire Wonderfest staff for allowing me to participate in what I consider the best show of the year. I'm already looking forward to next year's show, their 20th anniversary!

Robert Taylor took this shot of me with a Doc Phibes piece his cousin Sara bought last year and had beautifully framed for display.

How Abominable!

Oil pastels can yield some wonderful results once you get the hang of them. This portrait of Vincent Price as The Abominable Dr. Phibes was done on black pastel paper, allowing the black of the paper speak for the black of the background. It's a pretty simple but effective technique, and is especially useful when your subjects are monstrous.