The Gift

My youngest daughter Emily and Corleone, New Years Eve, 2010. Emily is 19 and Corly is 12 months. She purchased Corly for me in March 2010, and dispatched oldest kid Kara to Berlin Center, Ohio to fetch him -- a complete surprise, though I'd wanted a German Shepherd for some time. I guess the girls got tired of me talking about it. I knew, as soon as I snapped the original photo, that I had to draw it. The last of many drawings for 2010.

Although there are a lot of folds, creases and hair here, I still got off easy: The eyes are closed! Eyes are tough. Hands are worse. I think this is the first good hand I've done. Practice, I guess.

Finished but not yet framed.

He really did fall asleep in her arms!

Here's where it happens.

"The Gift"
December 2010, pencil, 3' x 4'
For inquiries on creating or purchasing sketches: hankbonesman@embarqmail.com

The Sisters

This was certainly a challenge! The curly one on the right is my neighbor Janet, with her sister Debbie. Janet had a scratchy black and white photo from the early 1960s that she wanted sketched for Debbie.

Click on illustrations to magnify; then click once more for greater magnification.

Much guess work was involved here, but I think it's a very close approximation. Janet chose a black frame and she hand-painted the matte. This will hang upstairs in her sister Debbie's home.

You can follow the process and compare the sketch with the original photo.

It was nearly finished here, save for some final highlights.

The faces and hair are finished. A good sign that the REST of it will work, too.

I think it was at this point where I knew it would come together OK.

The faces are roughed in. The basic geometry is there.

The Sisters
P.C. 2010 Tom Wills Productions
SOLD
For inquiries: hankbonesman@embarqmail.com

The Glimmer Twins

Click on images to enlarge, then magnify.

Jim Marshall, the photographer who captured some of rock & roll's most unforgettable images, died March 2010 in New York at 74. He took this great photo of two Rolling Stones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in Los Angeles, in 1972. They are The Glimmer Twins.

Marshall also shot the photo of Keith smoking a cigarette and playing the guitar, which I have also drawn (see "Mr. Richards.") I think the contrast in his black and white photos is stunning, and very hard to capture in a sketch.

 I took a big liberty here by incorporating the Rolling Stones Records logo on the back of the music stand. Otherwise I felt the drawing would have been too black, too empty there. Hope I am forgiven.
I found a suitably 1972 country honk vintage frame for these boys, too. It's got all kinds of dents and gashes in it. If the frame fits ...

Rolling Stone, the magazine, says "Marshall spent his heyday working with some of the most influential artists of his day, artists that remain indescribably influential to modern rock. From the iconic shot of Johnny Cash with his middle finger to the world, to candid backstage shots of The Beatles, Marshall developed trusting relationships with many of the artists he worked with all the way up to recent days."

This photo was actually cut out of a Rolling Stone magazine article, probably in the early 1980s. I had found the most unique leather frame somewhere, and no family photo ever looked right inside. But this shot looked perfect. I still have it, and every now and then it falls over because the back is bad. But I prop it up and it hangs on a bit longer.

Sound familiar?

The Glimmer Twins
From a photo by Jim Marshall
Sketch by Tom Wills / December 2010
THIS PICTURE WAS SOLD 7/10/11
Inquiries: hankbonesman@embarqmail.com

The Bad Elves (Are Good)

Bad Elves. Pencil, 3' x 4' November 2010.

Happy Holidays

From Tom,
Bella, Corly, Waylon and Weez.

Clockwise from left, Weez, Corly, Bella and Waylon.

"This is not a dunce cap." -- Corly

"Was this really necessary?" -- Bella

Frame and matte salvaged and painted by TW.

"I curse the artist." -- Weez

It is, after all, the holidays.

"Bad Elves" Original art P.C. 2010 Tom Wills Productions. For inquiries about commissioned work, hankbonesman@embarqmail.com
Now, let's have some fun out there.