Monday, December 01, 2008

Be an Athletic Supporter!

"If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter." So says Eve Arden in Grease. I can not take credit for the awesome pose in this image. As with the previous Olympic drawings I am using photo reference so any credit for "capturing a moment" must go to the photographer(s).
Now this doodle is dedicated to Super Underwear Pervert! His site is among my daily ref-checks and he recently posted this wrestling photo. I imagined the discomfort the American guy must be feeling standing on his head and cartooned up my version. I remember wrestling in Gym and having my head jammed into the mat, chin touching my chest as I try to break the hold of my stronger opponent. After I drew it I just had to colour it. I needed to see the beat red exertion in the bottom guy's face.
Man, did I ever hate wrestling.
Sorry there are only two drawings. I spent more time colouring than I should have.
j.




5 comments:

musclsvg said...

Okay, I'll concede that you didn't capture the moment, but the photographer didn't turn around and translate it with lines and shading like you did. You're both artists and deserving credit. If Da Vinci had painted "La Giaconda" from a photograph would you give Mona Lisa the credit for sitting there? I don't think so. You're way too modest Bone. Oh, by the way, great couple of drawings! I wasn't a fan of wrestling in High School either. Isn't it a shame that teenage boys don't have the confidence and maturity to enjoy a bit of physical contact?

j. said...

Musclsvg - Comparisons to Da Vinci will always win me over:) Thanks, man.
I think the main problem I had with wrestling was that I was scrawny and there was only one other equally scrawny fella. And not a guy I wanted wrestle every class. I also remember one other guy I wrestled who smelled like smoked ham. Not pleasant smoked ham, either. To this day I make sure all sliced meats I buy aren't smoked.

j.

Javier said...

I dunno.

While the Olympic athletes are nice renderings. Apart from the colored wrestlers, the others seem a bit clinical to me. They are missing that element of J. Bone fun.

Unlike the reviewer of your Superfriends comic, who felt that everyone was smiling too much. I feel like these guys aren't smiling enough :)

I would hope that the athletes of J Bone's Guy a Day Universe would be having as much fun as the rest of its denizens.

j. said...

Javier - I see what you mean. My guys tend to smile a lot. Of the athletes only Michael Phelps is smiling...he's also the only Olympic drawing that I didn't base completely on a photograph.

I may have stylized the referenced drawings somewhat, but I definitely could have pushed the design further.

I've got some great older Olympic drawings that I'm looking forward to interpreting! Smiles will be plentiful!

best,
j.

JustMe said...

Awesome energy in that wrestling illo!