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It's finished! I am talking about my football crowd picture. In fact it was completed a week ago.
The idea for this picture wafted into my head a few years back but I only got round to starting it last June. I worked on it intermittently when I was home alone with nothing else to do. That's really why it took so long but in any case, I was in no rush.
I want to thank my real life friend Mick Greaves for remembering the idea I once shared with him. Occasionally, he would enquire if I had started the picture yet and this had the effect of spurring me on. I also want to thank my blogging friend Donna in Colorado who gave me the idea of using different shades of "payne's grey" to colour in the figures. Thanks also to Briony (Brenda) in Brighton, England and to Jennifer in South Carolina for showing genuine enthusiasm for the project and for asking to have cartoon images of themselves in the crowd.
Ever since I was a bored schoolboy frequently enduring lessons that failed to interest me, I have doodled. Usually the doodling came back to cartoon images of people's faces. And at the end of my teaching career, sitting in tedious meetings, I frequently found myself still doodling faces. Consequently, this crowd picture is a celebration of all that aimless drawing - at last it has come to something. Simultaneously, it is also a homage to The Tigers - Hull City A.F.C..
Briony and Jennifer
Friends Mike and Mick & Tony
Son Ian and Daughter Frances
Stew (Daughter's beau) and Shirley
Leonardo da Yorkshire (Me)
I love the huge variety of faces in there!
ReplyDeleteThe man directly under Francis appears to have the same kind of hair as me so I'm a bit fond of him.
I think your choice of colours has worked out to be just perfect. Your keen observation of people shows here just as much as your talent for cartooning
Thank you Kylie. The fellow below Frances is coming to Australia soon. Expect a knock on the door from a cartoon character with a mop of curly hair.
DeleteA masterpiece - well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue! That's you and Paul just below me.
DeleteThat's absolutely fantastic! The Yorkshire version of where's Wally perhaps?😀
ReplyDeleteI am a hopeless artist, I'm far better at gardening......
Wally is in the last picture Christina!
DeleteBrilliant.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
Blushing.
DeleteThat's amazing! Love it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it Margie.
DeleteHow fantastic
ReplyDeleteThanks JG.
DeleteYou look dismayed at the score, YP!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's not easy to capture genuine likenesses with so few lines -- and you've done it very well. The finished product looks great! That's probably the closest I will ever come to actually attending a football game. LOL!
You are the kind of fellow who should support Fulham F.C.. Urbane and literate. Attending Craven Cottage would add to your British cultural mosaic. By the way, having supported Hull City for 54 years I have been dismayed by the score on countless occasions.
DeleteI love it! I guess I'm now going to be a Hull City fan, if anyone ever asks if I follow football!
ReplyDeleteYou gotta learn the chants.
Deletee.g. "Silverware? We don't care! We follow the City everywhere!"
"City till I die! I'm City till I die! I know I am I'm sure I am, I'm City till I die!"
"YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE!"
The drawings of the faces of your wife, son and daughter, boyfriend, Briony and Jennifer, you, Sue and Paul do look so much like them. Well done! The colour is perfect. Excellent work. Bravissimo Leonardo da Yorkshire!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Grazie mia dolce farfalla Italiana!
DeleteThis is so good, you are a truly accomplished artist (plus scribe, poet, photographer, travel writer, wit .... the list goes on).
ReplyDeleteStop it Andrea! My head is inflating to the size of a giant pumpkin!
DeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteThat's so nice coming from an artistic visitor like you Mary. Thanks.
DeleteI am blown away! You have an incredible talent. I always thought faces were the most difficult to capture and you not only capture them but you show so much personality in every face. You should write cartoons - with your writing ability combined with you artistic ability - perfect! You might just start a whole new style of blogging!
ReplyDeleteYou are very kind Bonnie. Thank you for your encouragement. Now I have got the crowd scene out of the way I can press ahead with one or two other painting/illustration ideas I have had.
DeleteIt's good to see the finished work. I am a tad envious of your many talents.
ReplyDelete...but I don't have a pond filled with squirming tadpoles Graham!
DeleteIt turned out very well! Every face is truly unique. I like the yellow turban on the fellow in the very centre.
ReplyDeleteHull is a mainly white English city but our team does have some supporters from other cultures.
DeleteThat is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny.
DeleteYou had fun and we will enjoy the production. So what's next? I do remember all those meetings and professional development sessions we sat through.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, all of that seemed like a waste of energy. It would have been far better to just focus on lesson preparation and assessment
DeleteWow! Have you a place to put it?
ReplyDeleteOops! I hadn't thought about that!
DeleteThis is truly fantastic, Mr. Pudding! Fabulous...you have done an amazing job...created a unique masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteA masterpiece by the master!
Thank you Lee. I thought of putting you in the crowd but I knew you wouldn't want curious art pilgrims hammering on your door.
DeleteI don't want anyone hammering on my door, Yorkie, art pilgrims or anyone else who have not been invited. :)
DeleteWhat about George Clooney?
DeleteI gave up on him the moment he dumped me and married Amal, Yorlie! :)
DeleteExcellent YP!
ReplyDeleteCheers CG.
DeleteI love it ! Took me ages to find you on the large picture. Where will you hang it?
ReplyDeleteThat's not something I have thought about Frances but I am sure we can find a place.
DeleteI love it! Very unique! Have you framed it yet? Where will you hang it? Give a copy of it to the team you love so much. Outstanding job!
ReplyDeleteI am going to get a few prints made... as I said in the post - thanks for the payne's grey tip Donna.
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