Caricature theme - proposal

Client's brief:-
"Theme: Proposal gift.

I wish to be drawn on one bended knee holding a diamond ring proposing to my girlfriend.

Background: Disney castle with disney characters cheering (please include Chip & Dale) and fireworks(night)"


Colour marker can't do a good job in drawing fireworks. I have used pastel pencils to create it. Not ideal too.
Thus, we scrapped this idea. Gave them a starry night instead.
This baggy jeans and posture looks quite quite and good for her, I think. Something different from my usual drawing for 'proposing caricatures'.

Couple caricatures in colour

Another couple caricatures.

Client's feedback:-
"It's nice!"

Caricature theme - proposal @ Sentosa Beach

Client's brief:-
"....I will be using this caricature as my proposal and i have in mind something similar to the attachment in this mail.
It would be a A3 size with a backdrop of the sentosa sea setting. I would like also this to be done by color marker....."


This job was quite a breeze to me.
No stress in drawing their faces.
Not a very special theme, but surprisingly, it turned out quite good-looking to me.:)

Caricature theme - couple on Motorbike

Client's brief:-
"...I would like to request the picture of me on a black sports motorbike(no specific model/design) with my girlfriend behind me as a pillion...."


Not an easy job. You may not be able to tell.
The challenge lies in the angle the subjects faced in the photos provided.
By right, the easier job is to draw the motorbike heading the reverse direction.
The guy is in the 'correct' direction, but then te lady will be facing the back.
I picked the tougher job, by choosing this direction - to the right.
Hence, the guy have to turn his head back, facing his girlfriend.
In that way, they look more loving. But my challenge is to make his posture looks logical, such that his head doesn't look twisted by 180 degrees. To make his girlfriend sits close to him, and not a lot higher than him, I draw her head smaller.
I didn't realise that I am doing it the hard way, till the end of the drawing.
I spent quite a long time on this artwork.
But it is worth the effort, looking at this completed drawing.

Client's response:-
"Oh, it's nice. Thanks!"

Caricature for Procter & Gamble

An old customer's brief:-
"Dear Jit Leong,
It has been years and hope you still remember me.
I need your help as one of our colleagues is leaving the company, and we want to present this caricature to him on Friday evening.
Please note his car is black BMW323 E90.....
Also, Terence’s car plate # is SDL7000T.....
Kindly incorporate our SK-II logo also."


Can't remember how long when she first approached for my drawing service.
Maybe when I was drawing in Clarke Quay?! About 10 years ago?
I have some impression of her name, and I remember her upon seeing her face when she collects this caricature.

Another car caricature. Done quite a few recently. Can start a collection of different car models soon....:)

Caricature theme - Happy Buddha

Client's brief:-
"....I'm printing an invitation card for my dad's 60th Birthday. I would like a Happy Buddha caricature drawn of him. I've attached a few pics of my dad (i'll look for better ones, he doesnt take many pictures!) and few pics of the Happy Buddha. I would like his hand to be holding a glass of wine and the other a cigar (his trademarks). Please do this in ink and brush style (with theme). I think the body might need to be slightly bigger than the usual caricature proportion to show the belly (another of his trademark). He also has quite prominent jowls....."


Happy or Laughing Buddha? Whatever. I know in Chinese, it is called 笑佛（弥勒佛）.
The client felt that his dad looks like this Buddha.
Yes, to a certain extent.
But the problem is the subject is not smiling much in the photos provided.
Thus the effect won't be that goo.
In fact, they requested to have him in bald.
My only concern is that there will be a huge different from the impression they have of the subject, though it is closer to the Buddha. Even if I get very close resemblance, they may not think so too.
In the end, they decided to have him with hair, but opted for the long earloobs.
As it is done in black and white, they can't really tell that they are earloobs. I can understand that as normal people don't have such long earloobs.

Caricature theme - wedding @ Sydney Opera House

Client's brief:-
"Hi there,
I accidentally know about your gallery... I'm very interested in your caricatures.
I would like to order a caricature in colour marker with theme - with background & body for myself and my fiance that will be used for our wedding, and want to draw with our favorite motor as a background... so I'd like to attach our photos in this email to let you have a look.
Could you let me know how long does it take for a caricature to be finished and how does it cost?
Our spirit is funny, happy and enjoyable with the motor speed... my fiance especially wants to show the name of his motor "Triumph" as well...
........About our ideas in the picture, as said before I want the groom in suit and red tie, the bride in white gown, long white veil and pink bouquet. The groom and the bride are riding the motorbike (I attach two of your caricatures that I like to be similar, but the bike is the Triumph one that I sent the photos to you last time, the groom sits like the picture 1 and the bride sits like the picture 2), the background is maybe the church, or the Sydney Opera house (cuz we took wedding photos in Sydney).... we both are in big smiles in the picture.
If the photos that I sent to you are not enough, pls let me know, and I will sent more to you :)"


To me, motorbike is always tougher to draw, as compared to car.
Besides structurally, to squeeze 2 big heads, and sit close together, it is always never a easy job.
In order not to make the bride to high, she now looks like slips off from the seat.:D
Anyway, this is a caricature, too decent may look too boring. Hahaha.....

Caricature for APL

Client's brief:-
"I would like to do a caricature on a t-shirt as a farewell gift.
Details:

1 person performing yoga
No background required
.....
We will like to add the text caption, "To a Healthy Retirement", on the
caricature."


Not a tough job. Just need to get the correct Yoga posture, and execute it aesthetically, given that caricature in pencil medium could appear too plain, when printed on T-shirt.

Feedback from the client via email:-
"Thanks, Jit.
Great artwork btw, we like it a lot.

Rgds,
Jindao"

Beatles caricatures for Ernst & Young

Another order from Ernst & Young, but from different person.

Client's brief:-
"As spoken earlier today, we would like to have a caricature to be done in theme with colour for 5 pax.

Details of the caricature
The 5 pax will be the 4 members of Beatles and our partner.
Attached is the photo of our partner and beatles.
The above photos were chosen so that the people inside will look around the same age.

The idea is to have our partner playing band happily together with the 4 members of Beatles. Our partner should be the one playing guitar. The instruments for the rest of the beatles members will be up to u to decide.

The picture shall be drawn on a A3 size paper, as suggested.......

Please also include the following inscriptions:-

Presented to
Mr William Chua
In appreciation of his dedicated service to EY Tax-B"


Though I have listened to some of their songs, this is the first time I take a close look at Beatles members, because of this job.

Luckily the subject has a similiar hairstyle to the Beatles.
I bet the photo provided was taken sometime around that 'era'. :D
Though drawing celebrities and group caricatures have some stress, the main stress comes from the guitars and drums. Frankly speaking, I never like to draw them. It is a painful process to me.


The caricatures framed up with the metal engraving plate. Looks neat and good to me.:)

Caricature theme - Narcotics Superintendant

Client's brief:-
"My idea is to have the Central Nacrotics Bureau logo as the backdrop. He in a police uniform with the rank of a Suprintendant. Below include Three Mugs of Beer, with our names of Krishnan, Brian & Ronie...
Attached is the rank structure of the Police Force... Suprintendant rank is one crest and two peaks. Please emphasis on this as this is a promotion gift.
Do not have a CMB logo in soft copy. You may wish to goggle in for it under CNB website. www. cnb.gov.sg. "

Was wondering what colour was the uniform of a Narcotics Superintendant.
Checked their website and can't find any clue.
Since the client mentioned 'police force', I will just treat him as a police.
Dark blue uniform then.

Immediate response from the client upon his collection:-
"Impressive!"

Caricature live sketching for Costa Sands Resort (Pasir Ris) - Day 4

Last day of this series of events for Costa Sands Resort.

Today, they placed this write-up at the opposite column.
Not sure of the reason, and I didn't ask too.


First caricature after waited for nearly an hour.
First baby where the parents wants him to suck his thumb when I was sketching him.


After seeing her boy's caricature (on top), she wanted to have a caricature of her own with her friend/relative(?).


Her parents booked one stretch down - 7 caricatures.
By the time I finished their caricatures, just nice to "close shop".

They wanted 3 of them on 1 drawing, but the paper was too small for me to squeeze their caricatures in.



The parents caricatures.
The mother wanted a caricature of her with her daughter, but time was up.

Couple caricatures in colour

Returned customer's order.
She has changed company, looking at her email address.
A birthday gift for her boss.

Caricature theme - birthday boy in Skoda Octavia

Client's brief:-
"I am exploring the option of doing a themed caricature for a friend for his coming birthday. Maybe something like he sitting in his favourite car speeding down the road or something along that line....
can we explore the line of him in his car, Skoda Octavia (dark grey) ...."


Did this caricature linework in Kuantan.
My nephew, ZiLe, was fascinated with it, as he likes cars, and drawing too.

Email from the client:-
"Hi Jit,

Thanks for the caricature. As I was too zonked out yesterday when I went to collect it, I did not really give it a proper look. But now that I see it properly, being much more awake, I like it and hope my fren would like it as much as I do too!

Thanks much once again!

Cheers Li Ching "

Caricature for Ernst & Young

Client's brief:-
"I would like to make a caricature (A4 size) for the lady in the picture below. This is meant as a retirement gift for her, who is retiring in a month time. Therefore I would like to make a caricature of her doing some relaxing retirement activities (for eg, lying by the pool or doing her shopping etc - we are open to your suggestions)....
1) The major clients that make up our boss's portfollio are as follow:
• Rolex
• American Club
• Diners Card
• Metro Shopping
• Natural Farm
• EMI music
• Dynasty Hotel
• Borders
• Black and Deckers

U may wish to incorporate them into your drawing. "


Getting messy on my client orders recently. Getting busy in handling enquiry emails, orders, photos, drawing etc.
This order was 'blown' by the fan, out of my work schedule tray.
Thus, I didn't bring it along to draw on my trip to Kuantan.
I only found out when the client called up to check on the status.
Hence, the collection time was delayed by 2 hours. My mistake!

The empty space of the shopping bags are meant for the signatures and message from the colleagues. Didn't manage to put in all the brands as per requested. This was highlighted to the client beforehand, and they agreed to have at least 4 brands. But, I still managed to add in 3 more.

Couple caricatures in ink

Client's brief:-
"Dear Jit,

I'd been a follower of your blog since a long time ago and has always impressed by your drawings every single time. So I'm very excited to finally get to own a piece of your artwork. I especially like those pieces you do during live shows in shopping malls & company D&Ds. Haha, you don't have a schedule of events informing your readers/fans from time to time where you'd be doing live shows, otherwise I could go spend at those places to have my portrait done by you!....

I only need the caricature in ink, not colour. The final outcome of the caricature drawing is typically like what you do for liveshows, the presentation of the drawing is such that it's usually a head, half body (at least can see both arms), no background that kind.
I never get to attend your live sketching events so I hope to have something like that done with reference of pictures. ...."


Didn't realise that my live caricature sketching can attract customer orders, as I always think that those artworks which I really spent more time have more convincing power.
Since she's one of my blog followers, I shouldn't disappoint her.
In fact, this caricature artwork has more substance than those I did for live sketching.
I added in G-pen fine strokes besides the bold brush strokes. Not too weak, and yet not too bold.
It takes up longer time, but it is definitely worth the effort.
I still prefer such style, which I have been using for years, since 1995. I would say after 14 years of using these 2 mediums, I can control them better. They seldom failed me.

She dropped me an email:-
"Hi Jit,

Thanks for the caricature done for us! I really like it! Sorry that we didn't really have big reactions that day. After we brought it home, we kept admiring it! My boyfriend & I really love it! It really looks like us! Thank you! Will definitely engage your services again!

Regards,
En En"

family caricatures in pencil

Client's brief:-
"I would like to place an order for Caricature - meant as a Father's Day present for my husband....."

Her response upon seeing this caricatures:-
"Oh! Very cute!!!"

Out of town from 14th -17th June 2009

Please email me at jit@portraitworkshop.com for any enquiries /orders.
I will try to reply you as soon as possible.

Caricature theme - doctor

Client's brief:-
"I am interested in getting caricature for my friends for graduation. ......
Can I request for the drawings to be doctor related (like a stethoscope or sth)?..."


Last 2 jobs to be settled, before I leave town.

Since the above caricature was a normal angle, I deceided to give this doctor caricature a bird's eye view.

Caricature live sketching for Costa Sands Resort (Pasir Ris) - Day 3

I was quite curious that there were some crowds at my desk (the management shifted my desk back to the location on Day 1), upon my arrival. This was different from Day 1 and 2.

Now, I think that could be the reason, and that was the only difference I saw for today's event (as compared to the previous 2) - the Management put up the article of me on The Straits Times. Publicity does has its own power. It can do magic most of the time!

It was a non-stop sketching for 2 hours today.
My only complain was the extremely hot weather - non-stop perspiration. I was drenched!




This 6-month- old baby has a very interesting hairstyle, though not clearly shown in this photo.


They said I have successfully captured his essence - his frown.



This was a close one. The crowd agreed too!


I like this caricature too.


The lady who has been helping me to issue ticket on Day 1 and today.
Day 1, she said don't want to be sketched.
Today, she joined in the queue.:)))


Disntinct double eyelids, and bunny teeth. How can I miss it?!



A nice one, I think.
She got a business card from me, and told me she will look for me for another drawing.



Ultraman hairstyle? Fun to sketch.


Some of them said she looks like a Malay.
More like an Eurasian to me. But she sounds like a Chinese.
....?!!


She's a nurse. Her friend requested for it.
Since I have a few more minutes left, too short to draw one more caricature, but too early if I just draw in the normal caricature, I might as well fulfill her wish. Is it her birthday today? I heard vaguely while I was sketching.....

Caricature for AustCham Singapore

Client's brief:-

"Hi Jit

AustCham is looking at having a caricature for one of our Board Member.
The idea we want is for the gentleman to sit on the front tip of the A380 flying out of Singapore.

The photos of A380 is attached and I think we prefer the plane to fly the opposite direction ie towards Australia.

On the left of the picture is island of Singapore with merlion. The background should be blue sky with the sun rays without the clouds.

From the end of the plane probably some trails of smoke and then form smoked words “I still call Australia Home”


Looked rather empty without the cloud in the background.
One concern here was the subject's broader neck (more like double chins) in the photo provided by the client.
I 'squeezed' it down to make it join better to the shoulder/body.
In the end, the feedback from the client was that the subject's face looked elongated, instead of squarish.
However, if I extend the neck line down as in the photo, the neck will 'reach' the subject's elbow area in the caricature. I think this will look very wierd. The previous job for them has no such issue, as that subject's jawline was distinct.
Lesson learnt - Do not to choose such photo (no distinct jawline) for the caricature next time.
We, the artists, can visualise the awkward part, but not the layman like the clients.

Caricature theme - boss in CLS Mercedes

Quite a straightforward job - Man in CLS Mercedes.
Besides changing the car into a convertible type (Photo provided is saloon type) , the challenge is to get the blue metallic feel of the car, in colour markers.
Looks good to me, at this scale.

Caricature theme - scientist & "monkey"

Client's brief:-
"Dear Jit!

Saw your work online and will like you to draw for my mentor (Han Kiat) and I. I am a graduating student and for my final year research project I did it under Han Kiat's supervision and so will like to thank him for being such a great scientist and excellent, patient mentor. I have attached the photos of Han Kiat, me, a micropipette and culture flask.

Here are what I 'envisioned':

Both in lab coats with Han Kiat, looking very steady, calm and confident, reining in me who is monkeying around (you can attach a monkey tail), trying to run around with a micro pippette and culture flask in each hand. At the bottom please include the the title

"Best Mentor of the Year (Strikethrough "of the Year") EVER! Thank you Han Kiat!"


Both of them have comical features. Fun job for me.:)

Caricature for Exxonmobil

Client's brief:-
"I am pretty excited to see your work. Am impressed with the website I saw, especially those comments on the sequence of events. This is going to be our first try out and if all goes well, we will have many requests coming in for you.......Basically he is a triathlon and enjoys running a lot. Was thinking that we can draw him running and to show him in his running outfit with the number label on it . Background is to use Singapore scene as he visits here very often. You can have the Singapore flyers (he has been up there), also he enjoys eating crabs at Jumbo Seafood at UDMC East Coast Park and he is a beer person. Hope all of this will give you more ideas when you do the caricature of him."


I didn't choose the normal front view of the photos given.
Chose this angle instead. More exciting and challenging. MOre satisfaction too.

Caricature for Ciba

A simple job - no theme.
To give it more substance, I focused on the rendering of the facial muscle.

Caricature theme - woman with handbags & shoes

Client's brief:-
"Suzana:
Sitting on a leather sofa as shown.
One hand holding a martini.
One hand holding the one end of a pair of shades.
Background of a shoe closet as shown.
(doesn’t have to look that extensive, so long as the impresion that she has a lot of shoes is incorporated)
The way she sits should face a bag closet, and must show the red shoes of her heels, .
In a room with chandelier

Surrounding:
Bags and shoes lying around on the floor
Kids toys lying around in a mess

Wearing these shoes: .....
Wearing this dress: .......
Wearing cartier bracelet (martini hand) .....

One hand holding the one tip of a sunglass (hand on armrest)
The bags lying around on the floor will be: ......
(make this Maroon Red)

The shoes lying around on the floor will be: .....

The bags in the closet will be: .....
(make this Steel Grey)"


The client has everything in mind.
My job is to put everything she wanted on paper, artistically and aesthetically.
I am immuned to the fashion, especially the ladies.
Now, she provided me all the photos.
Saved me the trouble and cracking my head.
But my stress was drawing them as close to the photos as possible.
The result was satisfactory. This caricature looked 'rich' to me.

Caricature for Mayl Corp

Client's brief"-
"We would like him to be in Chinese Emperor costume and the background is Fairmont Hotel, Orchard Towers, Esplanade and Merlion. If possible, Fairmont Hotel is more prominent than the others.

Quote to be written at the bottom of the drawing:
"Every end is a new beginning, we only part to meet again. - MAYL Corp"

We also like both his English and Chinese names to be in the drawing. Do not include his spectacles in the caricature.

Attached is the picture of the Chinese Emperor costume that you could pattern after to...."


Initially, I was thinking of using my son's Trio marker to create the pattern of the Emperor's costume as in <满城尽带·黄金甲·>, as provided by teh client. Unfortunately, the colours don't go with what I wanted. Thus, I have to switch back to my Copic markers.
Overall, it still looks good to me. In fact, I am satisfied with it!

Caricature live sketching for Costa Sands Resort Pasir Ris - Day 2

Day 2. Still as warm as Day 1, but I was placed at the front entrance area.

Live sketching for babies was never an easy job for me.
They cannot keep still, easily distracted and cry easily.


One of the senior staff.



Her face was an easy job.


This was even faster. Her features were unique.
I think it took me around 3 minutes to complete her caricature.


The little girl's parents.



A few more people in the queue, but my time was up.
Let's continue next Saturday.

Caricatures for Vestas Asia Pacific Wind Technology Pte Ltd

Client's brief:-
"Hi Jit
You came highly recommended by my colleague (whom I believe had a family portrait done by you).

My colleague, Lykke Nielsen Hoj (our Forecasting Manager), will be leaving us to return to our Headquarters in Denmark by 15 June after a 2-years stint here. I hope you could do something wonderful for us so that she can remember her stay here. Other then loving your portraits below, I really do not have a clue what the background should be. I have 9 other colleagues in the same department and would probably like you to include our logo or product (we are in the business of producing of Wind Turbines by the way) in the Group Caricature. Could you please propose what is workable and also provide me with a quotation (being in the Finance Department, we need to justify every single cent!)

Thanks a huge bunch!
.... We would like to do the leaving party (Lykke’s her name) in colour with the rest of us in ink (b/w). Something like the example of your drawings below.

I would like Lykke to be on a plane (preferably Singapore Airlines if possible. If it’s too much of a hassle, forget it) flying out of Singapore on the top right hand corner. The rest of us will be in a bubble, like a thought to her. As our office is in HarbourFront, could you probably do an outline of Singapore Island, interlink by cable cars with Sentosa Island at the bottom left corner, with our building protruding somewhere like a 3-D feature, like the example below.

Could you also include our respective names and Company logo as well? The Company logo is located together with my signature at the end of this email.

Finally, could you be so kind as to draw the ladies with a more “refined” chin, minus the wrinkles and stuff. You get what I mean right? ;D"


I didn't use any brush for the ink caricatures of the 9 staff.
They are to small (on A3 size) for me to do so.
Thus, G-pen is the only tool I used for them.

Client's immediate response upon her collection:-
"Great! Nice!"

Caricature theme - speed racer

Client's brief:-
"Hello Jit,

I'm not even sure how I found you site but WOW! I want one!!.

Details:

I'm a huge Speed Racer fan and would like my own version! I enclose some pictures to give you a more clear idea of how if possible I would love it to be?
Could you make me more muscular and built. NO GLASSES, and a goatee instead of a bread. For my wife image as Trixie, my wife is more voluptuous. And her hair is about shoulder length. A medium brown with high lights. Also I have a picture of a racing jacket I actually getting. The colors are all ARMY color i.e.(Green, Gold, Black, Yellow,Gray, White & Brown). Could you draw me in? And please take all liberty to jazz it up! And my helmet under my arm like Speed has his.

For the background could you draw a really cool Speed Racer like style racing car with racing decals on it i.e. ( US Army, Goodyear, FS4C - Footsoliders4Christ, RestorationWO.com & T.A.C.T - Total Access Communication Team) like Stock cars do. And we could be standing in front of the car. Or the background could be a racing track with my car winning the race & the checker flag coming down? And our images standing over the track. Similar to your Monday April 6 2009 blog of the golfer."


An order from Philadelphia, United States.
My oversea orders are showing signs of increment.
Quite a good phenomena for me, as my oversea orders are almost flat in the past.
Not as much as local orders though.
That's the power of internet. Of course, artworks need to be appealing to them too, for them to place order with you.

I am always very careful about oversea orders, in case we have any misunderstanding due to miscommunications, especially in the price quoted. Usually I quoted "$" instead of "SGD" in my emails. Local clients will understand that I quoted in "SGD" when I put "$".
However, when an email without any phone numbers attached, or any".sg" behind, and the way the clients enquire different from the usual enquiries, I will have to check where they are from.
This is because the next bigger concern is collection. Local clients do self-collection, while oversea orders require shipping/softcopies, depending on their preference. There's an additional fee incurred. And I have to state it clearly in the first few emails, so that there won't appear as hidden costs to them. Usually, it goes on quite smoothly, unless the timing is not right, or budget concerns.

Fully customised figurine - Fire Fighter

Client's brief:-
"As informed, I am actually looking for someone who is able to customise a firefighter figurine, which will be presented to my boss as a farewell event souvenir. The Figurine I am looking for should be about 20- 30 cm in height. The firefighter should protray a professional image. It will be a good deal if I can have resemblance of my CEO. I will be having my CEO farewell event on the 5 June....are pictures of firefighters in alumnised suit.
include these words on the base of the figurine...
Lim Kim Choon
Honorary Airport Firefighter
Airport Emergency Service

....Pls also include the letters AES on the back of the aluminised suit. "

This was a fully customised figurine, from head to toe.

However, this one is different from the past figurine, as the client wanted a proportional figurine, more realistic and formal/serious type.
Not those big head, small body caricature type.

Can't do it at 30cm, as it is not stable, given the height and proportion and the nature of the clay medium. We agreed at 20cm height for it.

Looks good, right?:)