The hair is... unfortunate. But I do see her features there when you tell me it's her unlike with some of Squigs' generic attractive people (cough Christy Altomare cough Emily Padgett). If you look at some of the Hirschfeld caricatures, they weren't always the most accurate to the performers, especially with details like the eyes, etc. But usually they captured some sense of the production, particularly in those big scenes that felt like a snapshot of a moment in the show. I don't understand this pose at all. It makes the big grin, especially with the exaggerated brows, look sinister... like she's the Child Catcher or something.
I personally really really like Mr. Fallin's caricatures and its unfair to compare him with Squiggs, whom I think is equally talented. But Mr. Fallin is surely more developed and experienced in his style. But I think we can all agree that either of them would be WAYYYYY better than ANY of the drawings? portraits? at Sardis for the past 3-4 years! Absolutely disastrous!
You guys should check out @DramaticInking who does caricatures and drawings for West End/London-based shows! Or shamelessly... if anyone has the time, please check out my artwork too @Felixsdrawing
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Strongly agree on Squigs. So full of life and energy. I particularly love his Twelfth Night one, where he captured Rylance's face perfectly with just three or four lines.
As for the Sardi's artist, I hadn't looked into it until y'all mentioned it here, and WOW they are terrible.
I've never been a huge fan of the work of either of them; I'd rather some Broadway-centric caricaturist go another direction rather than something so Hirschfeld-esque. There are plenty of other styles out there. (Full disclosure: My dad was a professional illustrator and has also done work as a caricaturist, albeit in the corporate world.)
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
It’s all art. And it’s all subjective. Personally, I like Falin and I also like Squigs. Some of their works are stronger than others. They’re human, they’re not machines who pop out perfect cookie-cutter work every single time. Art doesn’t work that way. I look forward to their next works of art.
VintageSnarker said: "Sure, he's notAl Hirschfeld but who is? "
Not Ken Fallin.
There are many, many aspects of his work that I don't appreciate (I find his work to be more opportunistic than talented), but I'm most irritated by the absence of balance - especially vertically - in almost all of his work.
It's like he starts out drawing with one concept of space in mind, but by the time he gets to the waistline of his subject(s), he realizes he's run out of paper and has to squeeze the rest of the drawing into the limited remaining space on the page. >Yuk.<
I'm not his biggest fan, but don't hate him. But all I could think looking at this was: "Who knew Brian Stokes Mitchell was currently in "Once On this Island" with Carmen Miranda"?
I think they're fine, they're fine as a homage. They worked as Forbidden Broadway posters and CD covers for decades and we were fine with them. Are they all winners? Definitely not. But I'd be flattered if a Fallin or a Squiqs wanted to do one of me. That Sardi's guy? Not so much.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008