I was also asked, for the Western Conservative Summit, to create a duo caricature of Guy Benson and Mary Katharine Ham. Two finished illustrations, both individuals in each illustration, with one being more prominent depending on whose official caricature it happened to be. Oh, and they’re supposed to be promoting their book as well.
Two years ago I did both Benson and Ham as separate caricatures. Guy Benson‘s was totally awesome, but I completely bombed out on MK Ham’s. Part of the problem is that MK Ham is very attractive and that intimated me a bit. (I have never been able to successfully do one of my wife for that reason).
So this year, before I started, I filled three sketch book pages of nothing but drawings of Mary Katharine Ham. What was it about her face that I could distort, but still make distinguishable? I studied and drew for hours before I finally figured out what it was that made MK Ham’s face what it is.
I then took two pieces of illustration board and coated them both red. I decided to work on the two pieces at the same time, side by side, simultaneously. It was the first time I had ever worked this way. I felt almost like a machine. When I drew MK Ham, I had to do so twice, once with her in the foreground and once with her as a cartoon character in the background. I did likewise with Guy Benson.
Back and forth I went until both individuals were rendered to my satisfaction. This time around I was very pleased with my portrayal of both of them, but especially MK Ham. But I wasn’t finished. Seeing the stop sign on the front of the book, I couldn’t help but think of road workers. So I imagined them both in road construction gear, redirecting traffic, with the giant book as an obstacle in the middle of the road. Perhaps it had something to do with the several thousand mile southwest road trip I just returned from, but all I could think of putting behind them were dessert cliffs. I abstracted them, of course, so that they would not detract from the two characters.
This was actually four caricatures in total, with two of each being duplicates. It took forever, but in the end, I am very pleased with the final result.
And of course, I had to meet them. I told them I was the artist, and they signed the book “we LOVE the drawings of us…” Having received their final approval is all an illustrator ever hopes for.
