Thursday, November 12, 2009

Time Out New York: Wes Anderson

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This week's "Hot Seat" portrait for Time Out New York is writer/director Wes Anderson!

This one was a lot of fun, partly because I'm a fan of Anderson's work (I count Rushmore as one of my all-time favorite films), and it gave me the opportunity to try something a little different.

Anderson's films are stuffed to the rafters with meticulous art direction; his movie's characters live in worlds that look like they've been lived in for many decades. And the style of the films themselves match the art direction, frequently utilizing title cards, still photos, or (in the case of Rushmore) curtains that part to show the action.

So I decided to draw Anderson's body in a scratchy, cartoony, kid-like way, giving it a look that I thought matched what you might see in one of his films. It took a few tries to get it exactly right (trying out different colors and line weights), to give it enough visual heft so that the full-color head portrait didn't overwhelm it.

I can see a few small things I'd change, but, overall, I really like how it came out--its always rewarding when I try something new and it works. Chalk one up for experimentation!


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