Often, when designing characters, I have an actor in mind that I use as the basis. Usually this model becomes more and more heavily stylized until the likeness is invisible to all but me. Usually I just go off of my recollection of what a particular actor looks like, but on occasion I'll pause a movie and do a sketch if someone has features too good to pass up.
There's a character in the next book whose appearance will likely be based on this fella:
It's a British actor from the sixties. I know him, but as far as I know he ain't a household name, so if you know him and leave a comment identifying him, you win a drawing! Not a commission, but I'll send you something.
I've also been watching tons of Musketeer movies lately, and did this quick sketch of D'Artagnan. He's supposed to be an athletic and enthusiastic country bumpkin, so I gave him that husky country boy look. 
After I did it I realized that I may be subconsciously ripping off my friend Cara McGee - she did a series of sketches reinterpreting the characters from the Princess Bride. Her Westley has a vaguely similar look - a hunky farm-boy straight out of a romance novel. Ha! Check 'em out - her man in black is also very sinister.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Name that actor!
Posted by Chris Schweizer at 12:41 AM
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3 comments:
Hi, Chris. I found you through your appreciation of the Avett Brothers, and I'm really digging your blog and your art. I will guess that this image is based on Barry Morse.
Thanks! It's not Morse, though he does have those big ears.
Actually, I'm gonna spill the beans, because I just imdbed this guy and although he was in tons of movies it's usually as "shopkeeper" or something equally small, so the chances of anyone knowing him have dropped significantly.
I had THOUGHT that I was drawing a slightly older, more grizzled Gordon Jackson, the guy who plays "intelligence" in "The Great Escape." But I was wrong - it's not the same guy!
It's actually an actor named Harry Andrews, who made a big impression on me in a movie called "The Hill," with Sean Connery. Seeing as this is one of his only big roles (far as I can tell) it probably isn't fair to make folks keep guessing.
Still love his physical features, though, and plan to use him as the basis...
Oh, I was so going to say that. Can I have a drawing anyway?
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