MADly Influenced

I don't usually post a new blog every time I upload a new doodle to my Flickr account, but since this one is a little different (and since it's been a while since I've blogged something that wasn't poking fun at the newspapers from the Indiana town I grew up in), I thought I would make an exception.

When I doodle, 99% of the time I use a pen. I'm not comfortable sketching in pencil, but I've been reading an amazing new book by Tom Richmond, The Mad Art of Caricature! Compared to my other doodles, you can see the book has really had a bit of an influence on my style. Sarah and I have also gotten hooked on the new FX series "American Horror Story," so Dylan McDermott was a natural choice for the subject of my attempt at a new style.

I haven't completely finished Richmond's book yet, so who's to say how my doodles will be affected on a long-term basis (if they are at all...I've been known to regress a time or two) but I was pretty impressed with my progress so far.

By the way, if you have any kind of interest in art, caricature, or MAD magazine, I highly recommend Richmond's book. He pulls the curtain back on this oft-overlooked style of art and opens your eyes to how you see the world. Even if you don't draw or consider yourself an artist, you'll appreciate Richmond's outlook and you just might find yourself seeing the people around you with a new -- and entertaining -- perspective.