Ray Charles

James Brown

The Drawings

I don't just draw these out, I start with a picture or image I think best represents the subject. I tool around with it until I am satisfied and then transfer that to the canvas (I use an old technique I learned a long time ago without much help, just a pencil and ruler).

I transfer the images to the canvas as pencil, then I go back and draw the lines with a Sharpie pen. I erase all pencil lines, since the lead will get mixed with the medium and get all greyish and dirty.

If I feel like it, I will fill in some of the shading so that its easier to distinguish what wrapper goes where, like my next subject, James Brown.


You can see the next two subjects I will be doing below: Can you guess who they are?

Roy Orbison

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley
The change of spelling of "Holley" to "Holly" came about because of an error in a contract he was asked to sign, listing him as Buddy Holly. That spelling was then adopted for his professional career. Holley died on February 3rd, 1959 at the age of 22 in a plane crash that also took the lives of the Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.

Robert Johnson

Undisputed facts about Johnson's life are few and far between. More often than not, his legend has obscured the few grains of truth which can be discerned. According to the myth, the young bluesman desperately longed for fame and fortune. Johnson was not satisified with his own musical abilities and felt that he needed more talent to achieve success. He was already bitter toward his creator, blaming God for the death of his beloved wife and unborn child. Despondent and irrational, he made a momentous decision. At the stroke of midnight, he walked down to the windswept crossroads at the junction of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, MS. Reciting an ancient incantation, he called upon Satan himself to rise from the fires of Hell. In exchange for Johnson's immortal soul, the devil tuned his guitar, thereby giving him the abilities which he so desired. From then on, the young bluesman played his instrument with an unearthly style, his fingers dancing over the strings. His voice moaned and wailed, expressing the deepest sorrows of a condemned sinner.
(credit: www.stormloader.com/users/crossroads/)

Johnny Cash

Lucille Ball

Elvis Presley

Bob Marley

Not happy with this one right now. I worked on his face for several hours and I am going to get back to this one when I get a chance.

Freddie Mercury

The Wrappers

On a fairly regular basis, I need to unwrap the Tootsie Pops and rewrap them so I can have a good supply for all the paintings I create. This evening I knocked out four bags in about an hour and replenished my supply since I created two paintings today (Belushi and Cobain).

I usually will try to do this and take stock of the colors (wrappers) on hand so I can determine what is available. For instance, I have only come across two wrappers that were special (strawberry), so I was picky about how I could incorporate those into a painting. I ended up using them as the rose colored glasses on the Janis Joplin Painting. The shadows of the glasses were raspberry.

Here are a few pictures of all the wrappers and another of the wrappers after I put them into neat stacks according to their color.

By the way, if you want to send me your wrappers, please feel free to do so. Email me for my address (goodyear dot john at gmail dot com).

Kurt Cobain

John Belushi

Janis Joplin

Hendrix

Tongue (Stones)

Indian Shooting Star (in Cherry)

Fresh Pop Art

Ellen Degeneres

John Lennon

The American Flag

Dubya (George W Bush)

The face was done with "Dum Dum" wrappers.

Jim Morrison

James Dean

Marilyn