Harpo Marx Portrait

It’s no secret that Harpo Marx is one of my favorite classic actors. When I was unsure of what to choose as my next project, I opted for this gem of a photo as my next source. So here’s my second Harpo drawing…

Myrna Loy and William Powell

I drew this picture in December of 2009 as a gift for my wife Amy for Christmas. William Powell and Myrna Loy starred together in about eleven or twelve films together, six of which were part of the popular mystery comedies “The Thin Man.” I started this on a Saturday while relaxing at home during a snow storm (December 18th, I believe), and completed it about two nights before Christmas (I believe I was watching “White Christmas” when I finished it. ). To date, it’s probably among my favorite portraits that I’ve done.

This drawing was done with the usual grades of pencil on a piece of Bristol board paper. I used 4H to lay it out and then stuff like 3H, H, HB, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B and 6B. Finally, I used my preferred Ebony Jet Black pencil to get the blacks blacker… and then rubbed in a makeshift background since the original photo didn’t really have one.

Frank Sinatra

About a week or so before my Grandmother’s 80th birthday party in November, 2009, I put this drawing of Frank Sinatra on the fast track to get it done in time as a surprise gift for her. As a beyond-avid fan of Ole Blue Eyes, I couldn’t resist working on this one for her. Thankfully she loved it even if I wasn’t 100% satisfied with it myself. But it was certainly a fun project. I believe I logged in quite a few hours with old “MacGyver” and “Wings” episodes on DVD to pass the time with. Ha! I believe I also tossed in an old movie or two as well (like “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer,” I think).

This drawing was done with the usual grades of pencil on a piece of Bristol board. I used 4H to lay it out and then stuff like 2B, 3B, probably 5B and 6B as well to do some of the darker shades. Finally, I used my preferred Ebony Jet Black pencil to get the blacks blacker — especially with the jacket. — 11/17/09

At Thanksgiving, 2009, it was really cool to visit my Grandmother’s and find that it was hung on a wall in her foyer. While I had given her a copy of the Cary Grant drawing I did years ago, I had always felt a little guilty that she had a framed copy of a drawing and not the real thing. It was really cool to be able to give her the actual Frank drawing. It seemed like just as much a gift to me to do that as it was for her to receive that.

Harpo Marx

This drawing of comedian Harpo Marx is actually probably my all-time favorite portrait I’ve done. I finished it 4/24/2005 (according to my scribbling on the back of it) and it has actually been hanging in my living room since then. It was drawn freehand from a photo of Harpo that I found online years ago. I’m a big fan of the Marx Bros. and their films so this was a fun one to do. And I just love that facial expression!

I just finally took it down (January 2010) to scan it for this site and my portfolio, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

As I’ve put these blog pages together and saw a notation on another drawing that this was started in 2004 but remained unfinished, I actually completely forgot about that. I have no idea why I would have started this one and never finished it (unless I got too busy. I have NO recollection of that)…

Cary Grant

I started this Cary Grant portrait in the end of April, 2005, while watching Antz on my laptop (2010 note: I get amusement out of re-reading what I was doing or watching or where I was while working on these drawings. It’s silly trivia, but it’s kind of funny to me).

I chose to draw Cary following the decision to start drawing classic film actors to decorate our apartment with. Eh… gives you a goal, right? Well, when picking who to follow up the Harpo Marx portrait I had finally finished, Cary came to mind. The last night I worked on it, I picked it up around 1 AM and worked through til 7AM (watched “My Favorite Wife,” starring Grant, followed by an edited version of “The Matrix.” Great combo, huh?) when I’d finally finished the drawing that morning on Mother’s Day, May 8th. I scanned it, printed it out, framed it, and gave the print to my Grandmother for Mother’s Day. Just seeing how excited she was was worth every second of toiling over this drawing. It’s not perfect, but I’m mostly happy with it.

Since we moved to a house in 2006, I decided to hang this one – and Harpo – in our living room… where it still hangs. It’s nice that I actually like this one. Ha!