Samples of My Work

I don't know if I have a style, but if I do then these would be representative examples:























The simplest approach: a line drawing of the subject, unembellished, fairly realistic, with just enough of a tweak to draw out the character. Hopefully Gordon looks familiar to you--though you may address him as Sting, or Mr. Sting, or Fey'd Rautha. If you're as handsome as Sting, you don't need fancy shading or accessories. Still, you may want just a touch of detail, so ...
























The most common request I get is for a straightforward portrait of the face with some detail, such as this portrait, which scarcely does the lady justice, but what flat portrait could? Clearly here there is more embellishment, more of a cartoonish feel to the drawing, and shading to emphasize the key features. Still a very simple approach, but with a humorous bent.

But there are other ways to add humor to a drawing, and one of the best ways is with props:
























Cameron and Jueneta, featured in this drawing and the one that follows, dressed in some pretty outlandish garb for a party; creating caricatures from the resulting photos was almost too easy. However, it is not necessary to dress yourself up in order for me to add details like the wigs, the costume jewelry, the period clothing, etc. All you have to do is describe the props and/or costumes. Reference photos would be nice, but are also relatively easy to find on the internet, so not mandatory. Feel like a Civil War Reenactment? Or a superhero theme? Or perhaps ... some swingin' outfits from your parents' closet:
























Clearly, an effect was applied to this portrait--and it was appropriate for a portrait designed to be from the era of Velvet Elvis paintings--and although I do not normally apply effects to portraits, if this sort of thing is your bag, baby, then let me know. As to the drawing itself, this one is not only full-figures but also includes costumes and props; the level of portraiture, however, is not high. This is more cartoonish than realistic.

Finally, here is an example of a cartoon portrait designed to showcase the subject's talents and interests:
























It's Phil, enjoying--through the magic of cartooning--all of his favorite things at once. If you know someone like Phil, who races from one project to the next, then this is the type of portrait that captures their likeness in more ways than one.

These portraits are not meant to represent the entire gambit of possibilities when it comes to the portrait I will create for you. Describe what you would like, and we can work it out. But if you like one of these portraits and you would like your portrait to be made in a similar vein, it would be helpful to me to reference the portrait when requesting or commissioning your own.

Write me at monteith.john@yahoo.com to request your portrait, and don't forget to send me a picture from which to work! See you soon!