Happy Birthday Willie Nelson

Another quickie. No time for colors or highlights or even a guitar. Way too much to do today!

Happy Birthday Daniel Day-Lewis (4-29-09)

His face offers almost too much to work with, but I'm kind of in a rush today. It could have been better, but not by much.

Happy Birthday Jorge Garcia

If you are one who chooses to deprive themselves from a very great thing called LOST, it would be pointless for me to explain the references in this drawing.

Let me add that the Dharma patch on his jumpsuit is a real bitch to draw in such tiny dimensions.

Happy Birthday Jorge!

Happy Birthday Ace Frehley

I was tempted to do him in his KISS makeup, and it would have been much easier finding decent reference photos that way. But then the drawing would have been more focused on his makeup design (thus burying his features).

Happy Birthday Duane Eddy

The twang guitar ace turns 71 today.

Happy Birthday Al Pacino

Not the worst drawing I've ever done, but definitely not the best.

Happy Birthday Barbara Streisand

Happy Birthday Roy Orbison

I never knew how tragic Roy Orbison's life was until I read CASH by Johnny Cash (they were long time neighbors in Tennessee). For example, 2 years after his wife died in a motorcycle accident, two of his three sons died when they accidentally started the house on fire, burning it to the ground while he was away on tour.

I can't think of an artist (with the exception of maybe Hank Williams) whose music can do a better job of conveying a longing for something better in life.

Happy Birthday Jack Nicholson

Now here is someone who hasn't been caricatured to death by a million artists. Someone had to do it!

This is from a very flattering (aren't they all?) paparazzi photo I found when digging up reference material.

Happy Birthday Iggy Pop

I referenced a painting I did of Iggy 3 years ago, and I think I still like that one better.

He may have freakish looks with all of his veiny flesh and bone, but to be honest, if it means not carting myself around in a scooter with an oxygen tank, I really wouldn't mind being in his shape when I hit 62.

Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler

The comic legend turns 120 today.

I never thought that drawing a pair of goddamn roller skates would take considerably longer than trying to capture a decent Hitler likeness. I guess some things in life you just need to experience.

Happy Birthday Tim Curry

The human Grinch turns 63 today. He will forever be known to me as the terrifying Pennywise from It.

I have never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and will probably never build enough interest to watch it. I blame that obnoxious Meatloaf song that seems to be so obligatory in the karaoke community.

Happy Birthday Conan O'Brien (4-18-09)

I am very much looking forward to his new job as host of The Tonight Show. In his farewell speech on Late Night, he assured us all that an earlier time slot did not mean he was going to start growing up. Although we had to say goodbye to the beloved Masturbating Bear, we have already been introduced to a new character, "Bear frantically searching for cell phone in fanny pack".

Here is a drawing that I wasn't all that pleased with, and thought airbrushing it would make it more appealing. When I was still unhappy, I thought colored pencil might help. I think the real problem is that I made him look old and sad.

BONUS! Happy Birthday Henry Ian Cusick

Desmond Hume of LOST turns 42 today.

Happy Birthday Jennifer Garner

A few days ago fellow illustrator and MCAD alumni Jess Riggle left this generous comment on my Sarah Michelle Gellar drawing: "...you really captured her borderline hideousness the world mostly seems to ignore."

And that's exactly what I was trying to achieve when drawing Jennifer Garner.

Happy Birthday Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Staying with the routine of posting a clip from Airplane! when I draw someone who was in that movie, here is Kareem Abdul-Jabbars' scene:

Happy Birthday Seth Rogen

He can be funny, but I sure am sick of seeing his face in the trailers for every other new "comedy" that gets released.

Happy Birthday Sarah Michelle Gellar

Another day that was slim pickings. I get bored drawing blandly attractive actresses.

Happy Birthday Max Weinberg

Happy Birthday Ed O' Neill

He will forever be known as Married With Children's Al Bundy, but I always thought he was pretty great as the donut shop manager in Wayne's World.

I thought it would be difficult to miss this likeness, but sitting back now, I could have afforded to make his chin a bit larger, especially with this particular expression. Oh well.

Happy Birthday Anton Lavey

Founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan would have been 79 today. Hey, today's birthdays were slim pickings. There was Joss Stone and Vincent Gallo, but this was the most interesting to me.

I completed this during some downtime at work. A co-worker asked if I was drawing "that guy who hosts Inside The Actor's Studio".

Happy Birthday Steven Seagal

Founder of Steven Seagal Enterprises turns 57 today.

Happy Birthday Hugh Hefner

Kind of a lazy one. So much I could have done with him as far as stretching and pulling the features, not to mention the numerous gags available, but oh well.

Happy Birthday Patricia Arquette

Happy 70th Francis Ford Coppola

Happy Birthday Michael Rooker

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is still one of the scariest horror films I've ever seen. And maybe one of the most amusing. But that's just me. Rooker was also pretty disgusting and hilarious in Slither. Both films worth checking out if you have the time!

Happy Birthday Colin Powell

Happy Birthday Heath Ledger

Happy Birthday Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando is yet another actor who I consider to be the "cop-out" caricature. Many of the drawings I've seen out there lead me to believe that a whole lot of artists tend to think that if they slap on a Wild One biker's cap or a Don Corleone mustache, BAM!, they have captured Brando.

As most legendary actors go, they have their share of bizarre and questionable roles, so I chose to depict my first Brando attempt as his role as Christopher Reeves' father. I'm not too sure about this, but here it is.

Happy Birthday Alec Guinness

Happy Birthday Lon Chaney (4-01-09)

Happy Birthday Christopher Walken (3-31-09)

Not the worst drawing I've ever done, but far from the best.

Happy Birthday Warren Beatty (3-30-09)