Crikey!
I was in two minds about posting a tribute to Steve Irwin. I felt like a bit of a hypocrite, because to be honest the guy got on my nerves. You see, I am quite a cynical person and well...he was so infectiously positive and enthusiastic about everything he did. I could only ever take the guy in very small doses.
But saying that, he seemed like the genuine article and a nice bloke. There's also no denying he was a great ambassador for Australia and wildlife conservation worldwide.
So Steve, you will be missed. Even by a cynical old bastard like myself.
posted by Chris Wahl at 8:46 PM
13 Comments:
Spot on; really great likeness... You have certainly captured that crazed look in his eyes...
He was definately a nut-job, but he didn't have a bad bone in his body...
You can tell that everyone is a bit sad & bemused to hear that he's actually dead...
CRAWKEY!
This one is pretty funny! :)
Hey Chris... I have to agree with you.... his cheeriness put me off... but has was always entertaining to watch.... and really into what he did.... so that I have to respect... anyways... Great job on the caricatue of him.... you captured him perfectly..... PEACE!
J
Wow, that's spot on!
And I gotta agree. He got on my nerves quite a bit too and I joked on many occasions how he'd end up on the wrong end of a poisonous animal (in fact... I said as much in an LJ entry some while back), but I do respect the man for being totally genuine in what he believed in and fought for. The guy was the real deal.
Maggie
What a great way to memorize this unique and fun person!!
Great caricature, Chris, and I agree with your sentiments word for word - you put it all really well. In a way, the same things that made him Steve great were also the things that could get pretty annoying, but he stood for some good things.
Great work Chris.
I couldn't take the guy to be honest, a bit too much of a stereotype for me. But he had an almost hullucinatory fascination with animals which was obviously genuine.
Could help thinking "just stop shouting at it and put it down" when I saw him though.
Actually I liked the guy, I thought he'd full and truly made it as soon as he had scored a Hollywood movie, and had an action figure made of both him and his wife. To me he was like a giant innocent child who hadn't grown up, a brilliant example of a man living and breathing the 'Peter Pan syndrome'. And as he was a champion for good (anyone who fights for, protects and preserves animal-kind fits my bill on this), he was on a pretty just course. Sure, he was somewhat rough around the edges, and had a limited grasp of the english language, but he seemed to be a good man within the realm in which he worked, and all that counts for something in my book.
I make this post here as it does offer a bit of an alternative to some of the views already expressed here.., oh, and because I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge fan of your work Chris. I really loved your work on 'Platinum', and if you don't mind, I'll probably make another post soon to ask you a little about your work, your education, and your approach to what you do...
Keep up the good work Chris..:)
Dominic..:)
Hey Dominic- I do agree with you on all your points, and wasn't there a croc (or an alligator) in Peter Pan too? ;)
He was just a little over the top for me, to be taken in small doses. But I have respect for his achievements, his attitude and his family values. I guess I liked him more as a human being than a celebrity.
Thanks everyone else for your comments.
Oh and thanks for your kind words about my work, Dominic. Any other questions let me know...
Thanks Chris, and thanks so much for your willingness to answer my questions..:)
First up, at what institution(s) did you study/learn graphic design and illustration? And did the knowledge that you learned there have a significant impact on the work you do today?
Also, a question regarding the way you handel hair, eyes, and the clothing on the figures (because I'm a big big fan of the way you handle these:). What comic book artists did you use as a guide when it came to learning how to draw these features in your drawings? I was wondering whether or not Jim Lee may have been one artist who may have influenced you when it came to drawing these features? (If not/if so, who else..?)
And finally, a couple of questions regarding comic book lettering, and 'lettered comic book sound effects'. I have a copy of 'Adobe Photoshop' and 'Adobe Illustrator' at home, and I want to know the name of a font program I can get so that I can produce industry standard comic book lettering, and industry standard 'lettered comic book sound effects' for my own work.
Thanks again Chris for your willingness to answer my questions.
Dominic..:)
Dominic- Hope these answers help...
Q: First up, at what institution(s) did you study/learn graphic design and illustration? And did the knowledge that you learned there have a significant impact on the work you do today?
A: As an artist I'm self taught and never attended any colleges, university or courses to learn to draw. I did however learn a lot from my workmates when I worked at Disney animation. Being surrounded by people with similar interests really helped improve my art.
Q: Also, a question regarding the way you handel hair, eyes, and the clothing on the figures (because I'm a big big fan of the way you handle these:). What comic book artists did you use as a guide when it came to learning how to draw these features in your drawings? I was wondering whether or not Jim Lee may have been one artist who may have influenced you when it came to drawing these features? (If not/if so, who else..?)
A: I think the (comic) artists who helped influence and shape my drawing style were John Byrne, Art Adams, Alan Davis, Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri. I learnt the basics from John Byrne and Art Adam's work. I learnt to draw women from Alan Davis and Marc Silvestri's work, and Jim Lee for his rendering skills. As far as hair, eyes and clothing, I can't say there was any one artist, but rather a combination of these and many other different artists, taking elements I liked and combining them to create my own unique style.
Also with eyes and hair, I learnt portraiture and caricature growing up and that really helped me learn the basics of drawing the face.
Q: And finally, a couple of questions regarding comic book lettering, and 'lettered comic book sound effects'. I have a copy of 'Adobe Photoshop' and 'Adobe Illustrator' at home, and I want to know the name of a font program I can get so that I can produce industry standard comic book lettering, and industry standard 'lettered comic book sound effects' for my own work.
A: There are many free comic fonts on the internet (at sites like www.1001fonts.com). Ones to avoid are DomCasual and Comicsans. For more professional comic fonts you can purchase fonts from www.blambot.com, or if you're creative you can do like I did and make a workable font of your own handlettering. I used a PC program call 'Font Creator' by High Logic.
Thanks so much for your generosity there Chris..:)
And I look forward to following your posts on your web site here:)
Dominic..:)
Thanks Dominic. Glad I could help out.
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