Tuesday, October 06, 2009

My art on the streets of New York!



When I was in New York last week, I discovered that I have finally made it to the big time, my work was all over Times Square. Now if I could only get it into the MET?

These street artists were using the art of Kruger, Jan Op De Beeck, Ismael Roldan, Wouter Tulp, Chris Rommel, Tom Richmond and many others including myself to attract clients. It was funny, because these street artists can't draw at all. I tried to talk with them, but all they said to me was "Five dollar, I draw you for five dollar". I asked to talk with his pimp, but he didn't reply.






I went up to this guy and asked him if he painted that Nelly. I said "Wow, this is cool, did you paint this?" He said "Yes, I paint this." I then said "Really, wow, you're really good, what did you use to paint this". He replied, "Yes, I paint this." So I then confronted him and told him that is my painting, that I used acrylics to paint it, and that it was one of my first acrylic paintings. He soon realized that I was serious and then just like that, I no longer existed. He ignored me, it was as if I wasn't even there. Quite interesting. Another guy came over to me and said that he painted it by looking at my painting, that it was a "study" of my painting? I just smiled at him and said . . . "I tell you what, how about I pay you $5, and you let me draw you?" He didn't like that idea. Would have been fun.


THIS IS A FINAL ASSIGNMENT FROM A RECENT STUDENT OF MINE AT SCHOOLISM!


At the end of each semester, my students have to complete a "portfolio piece". A "caricature illustration" so-to-speak. This was Rich Lauzon's final submission! A BIG CONGRATS to Rich! He worked very hard, and I feel he put together a great piece! I critiqued it for him and gave him some suggestions which he said he'll work on. Perhaps when he finishes it, I'll post his final here for all to see?

My next semester for "The Art of Caricature" at Schoolism.comstarts this Friday on the 9Th of October, there are still a couple slots open!

Here's what Rich had to say about the course!

"This last assignment was extremely challenging. I fully appreciated how every lesson was pulled together in this final project. I particularly was impressed with the creative freedom that could be found within the project. I plan to use these techniques in future projects.

I have learned a lot from your course. How to paint, better composition, and, a very straight forward and streamlined process that allows me to create work more efficiently in this deadline oriented field. But probably the thing that clicked for me the most was how to “see” where to caricature. That it’s okay to make things smaller to make something else that has regular proportions look bigger. The skull lesson was also eye opening. That one really shows you what to distort and what to shade what to cross hatch as far as surface planes are concerned. That could be a how to book or DVD all by itself.

It is clear that you are very passionate in your craft. You strike me as a “teachable” for life and I am very humbled by your generous nature in sharing your secrets of your success."



28 Comments:

Blogger Patrick LaMontagne said...

Really like Rich's piece. Really funny.

As for Times Square...since we've seen threads like this on the ISCA forums about the same sort of thing going on in Europe, kind of makes you wonder how much your work is being used by other artists that you DON'T know about. Sheesh, what a ripoff.

9:34 AM  
Blogger Eric Zampieri said...

The story about the "image thieves" it´s funny. In my country the people in the streets it´s some kind of mafia but the drawings are made by themselves :-P

The final practice of your student it´s amazing. Good work!

10:10 AM  
Blogger Lash LeRoux said...

"I asked to talk with his pimp, but he didn't reply."
-- Great line! LMAO!!

10:17 AM  
Blogger Brad said...

oh man, that would have been so great if he let you draw him!! i would have loved to see that.

10:25 AM  
Blogger Kacey said...

Congrats on making it to the big time. Now I can sleep at night knowing you're a legit artist before I start your class. I love the photos posted to document your discovery:)

11:22 AM  
Blogger Thomas Fluharty said...

Crazy!!#$%^&*FUNNY and Sad for FI-DOLLAH~T

11:35 AM  
Blogger Julio Del Hierro said...

You know you've hit the big time when people start ripping off your work. CONGRATS!!!

12:23 PM  
Blogger Richtoon said...

Wow!! Thanks for posting my Shaun and Ed caricature on your blog, Jason!! Now that the world knows I have to fix this up a bit, the pressure is on!

Thanks again for a great class!

Is there anything that you can do about the thefts? That is very disturbing. You seem to be twisting it into a positive! I respect that.

Rich
PS I am picking up your 2nd book at the Labyrith store in TO the long weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving).

12:46 PM  
Blogger xamonconequis said...

love your work, ! saludos!

1:48 PM  
Blogger Jon Moss said...

Hey Jason that's so bizarre that you posted this. Just a few weeks ago my cousin got back to the UK after a trip to the big apple and said she was certain she'd saw one of my caricatures being used in the same manner. I just dismissed it at the time but I wonder if it was the same dudes she saw or whether this sort of plagiarism is common place.

1:52 PM  
Blogger Jon Casey said...

I have a different take on this, as when I moved to San Francisco 5 years ago at 24 with no job, I took to drawing on the streets for cash. I worked at Fisherman's wharf for about 3 summers, building on my technique and event clients. Towards the end of my time there, the samples on the street improved dramatically!! Of course, they were not made by the mostly chinese non english speaking artists. For me, it was really tough, showing my original work, which was at that time no comparison the the "fakes".
Over the 3 years though, I had a chance to see life from their point of view, and realized that they have it much, much worse than we do. Some of these people cannot possibly get work in America, and it is either draw poorly on the street, or pick up cans to be recycled.

I'm not saying that there is any question to the morality of ripping of others work, but I am saying that it will not affect your life one iota in the end, and someone like Jason or Myself are incredibly lucky to be in the position we are in.

2:08 PM  
Blogger Jeremy said...

I would've paid 20 to see you draw the guy---man that's sad...

2:49 PM  
Blogger Sean (53AN) Gardner said...

That's awesome!! Congrats to your New York success. It's like recieving a back handed compliment, with no real appriciation.
As for the Shaun of the Dead piece, that's wicked!! Great jop Rich.

2:51 PM  
Blogger ARI said...

What you saw in NY, also happens in Spain. There are a lot of caricaturists that work for magazines that are copied everyday, that´s the case of Vizcarra that works in the magazine o " El Jueves" very popular here.

4:34 PM  
Blogger Marco Bucci said...

Duude, you should go back to that caricature stand with the original acrylic painting, and a video camera. Threaten to sue the guy for copyright infringement. That's a YouTube hit, right there (and one killer bonus feature on your next DVD)!

5:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You did a picture of Gatti?

7:50 PM  
Blogger jeffkunze said...

That is a great story about seeing your work. That would make me angry but at the same time you have to be a bit proud.

Great work there Rich! I love the expressions. It really cracks me up!

10:13 PM  
Blogger Scott said...

How frustrating to see someone trying to make a fast buck out of someone elses hard work. On one hand you have the student putting hard work and long hours into his art seeking to improve and gain knowledge, on the other hand, someone exploiting these efforts for beer money.

1:16 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

It's is sad to see this happen over and over again.... These guy have no self respect.
Some say that there's a compliment in there, but a real compliment would be respecting your work, and giving you the credits for it.

3:10 AM  
Blogger William K. Moore said...

Jason I believe your NY street artist friends might want to apply for a schoolism scholarship. If imitation is the highest form of flattery.. well your flattery meter must be on 10 by now.

11:12 AM  
Blogger Fedor Kramskoy said...

In capital of Russia, Moscow on Arbate also it is a lot of "admirers" of your talent expose your works and say that they drew them.

1:15 PM  
Blogger Nathan Lindsay said...

I love that you offered to pay him to draw him. ha! what a lame honor you endure to be so good :)

6:00 PM  
Blogger Kaexi said...

I think no one can draw 2nd piece of Nelly like you! I think that guy just simply get the images from web!

7:58 AM  
Blogger Will Appledorn said...

ha,the big time for sure, it's true that you have to have the best of the best caricatures to have them swiped.

I've seen a few posts like this on other artist's blogs, but never heard what became of confronting them. i wonder if these guys ever think they'll meet the artists they're stealing from.

interesting conversation, would have been funny if he let you draw him, probably would have hung it up and said he drew it!

8:51 AM  
Blogger Jonathan said...

Thats crazy man!! I love it how you went up too them and just grilled them! hahahaha great stuff man!

2:34 PM  
Blogger jmborot said...

Funny Jason !
Perhaps you don't know, but your work is also at London, Paris (and perhaps many other places...)
I remember, once, I came to a "street artist" and told him : "waoh ! Great ! I didn't imagine I can meet Jason Seiler here at Beaubourg !"
He didn't answer anything...
That's a big problem, but also for me : as a "street artist" myself, showing my own work, many people don't believe me when I say it's MY work, because they know that many others are showing things they don't draw or paint themselve...

11:05 AM  
Blogger Victor Gatmaitan said...

You should've drawn on his face with your fists...hhaha.

8:29 AM  
Blogger Bob Fingerman said...

I remember years ago, in Paris, seeing a street caricaturist and he had some examples I'm sure were by Mulatier and Morchoisne. I see these clowns here in NYC and it's so obvious they can't draw. But the tourists don't know bad art from good. They snap up those ugly "calligraphy" signs with their names done in tacky rainbow marker. It's beyond me.

In contrast, another time I was in Paris, I was with my wife and a friend strolling by Notre Dame and there was a street portraitist who was astonishingly good. Just brilliant. My big regret of that trip was not sticking around and getting him to do either me or my wife. He wasn't cheap (no "fi' dollah" range; more like 40 Euros), but he was amazingly good.

3:23 AM  

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