Hm. No. Haven’t quite got him yet…
Here’s the weirdest ethnic stereotype you’ll hear all day: black men typically have very tiny ears. I guess black women do, too, but it’s particularly noticeable on men.
Not that I noticed this myself. My mother — who was a very talented portrait painter — pointed it out to me years ago. Check it out; it’s true.
Came to mind today when I saw a caricature of Obama that relied entirely on giving him HUGE ears. Just making stuff big is a lazy way to catch a likeness. The great caricaturist Al Hirschfeld captured likenesses with some spooky voodoo shit I don’t even understand. I never liked his work much, but he sure could do likenesses.
Anyhoo, dude’s ears are kinda big for a brother, but it’s really more that they stick out at a jaunty angle. Been playing with the president’s ears all evening. Haven’t quite got it yet.
Posted: October 4th, 2010 under artwork, personal, politics.
Comments: 19
Comments
Comment from USCitizen
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:20 pm
Move the ears an inch higher … ears are 1/3 above the sideburns – 2/3 below …
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:21 pm
Hm. I’ll try it. You back home yet?
Oh…here’s a good one:
Comment from USCitizen
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:23 pm
Bottom of ear opening should be even with cheekbone height … not upper lip
Comment from USCitizen
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:29 pm
Dang, the Old One’s sure put out a good Commercial!
I was back in Texas on Friday – and now I’m in London again for two more weeks.
Yeah!
Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:40 pm
Pretty close, but his dead eyes are really hard to capture. I hate doing portraits or caricatures, never got the hang of it. Some people are just brilliant at it but not me.
Comment from J2
Time: October 4, 2010, 11:46 pm
i agree with the 1/3 2/3 thing… but…. it’s almost as if his ears were put on after his head / face / yada yada was formed….
(please forgive me … i have no artistic talent)… but maybe draw his face and head, etc… then put big(ish) yet effeminate ears on him…? also; his mouth is kind of wide for a “brother”….
(i gotta laugh because all i can think of is the old lady on airplane, translating from “jive”….)
Comment from Elphaba
Time: October 5, 2010, 12:06 am
The nose has gotta be a lot higher up in the air to really capture Ole’ Bama.
Comment from Mitchell
Time: October 5, 2010, 12:29 am
We’re looking at him with his head raised relative to our perspective, so the ears would be a bit lower than at full frontal. But the one on the right side of the picture is definitely too low. Still, it’s recognizable as him.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 5, 2010, 12:44 am
Fun with the warp function.
Comment from Mark
Time: October 5, 2010, 1:08 am
You’re using the WRONG model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbo
!!!
Comment from QuasiModo
Time: October 5, 2010, 1:10 am
You should give him a Pinocchio nose while you’re at it 🙂
Comment from jwpaine
Time: October 5, 2010, 1:23 am
It’d help if his eyes had a bit more of that Alfred E. Newman misalignment to them. Maybe not help with the caricature, but I know it’d make me happy.
Comment from Steve Skubinna
Time: October 5, 2010, 8:42 am
As prominent as the ears are, what always sticks in my mind is the Mussolini Lite aspect, the chin high, petulant pursed lips as he intones “Let me be clear…”
Comment from Argentium G. Tigers
Time: October 5, 2010, 9:21 pm
Add a housefly on his face. Seems appropriate.
Comment from jwpaine
Time: October 5, 2010, 9:53 pm
Better yet, add the Javier Bardem character from No Country For Old Men to the background, standing off to the side, as if he were killing time until the artist finishes.
Comment from Monotone (The Elderish)
Time: October 5, 2010, 10:11 pm
Bah, just put’em on his neck and be done with it.
Comment from Randy Rager
Time: October 6, 2010, 3:57 am
Abnormal ears? Would it be cruel and wrong and RAAAAACIST! of me to point out that it’s probably a result of all the honky in him?
Comment from Bill (now the .000357% of your traffic that’s from Iraq) T
Time: October 6, 2010, 5:22 pm
Been playing with the president’s ears all evening.
Channeling your inner LBJ?
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