Rodney Pike Humorous Illustrator

Jacques René Chirac

2012-05-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Well, there's a new French President now but I haven't found the right image of him yet. Give him a little time, he's a politician in the lime light, so he'll do something funny soon enough. Meanwhile I was looking for an interesting profile to do and found this image of former French President Jacques Chirac. I liked the angles in is in his face in this profile pic so I really pushed the exaggeration on those angles here. These former French Presidents have great noses for caricatures. I had a hard time deciding what to do with the background because everything I tried was too busy and detracted from the subject. I thought about it for a while and then it came to me. French flags, but not waving anymore as they did when he was President, simply leaning against an old door as he passed. These French subjects are always great fun and the French people are always such good sports. I'm not sure about the outcome on this one yet but it was a fun exercise. I imageine my French friends will tell me. I only spent a few hours on this one as aposed to my usual 2 to 3 days. On to the next one.. Vive la France!

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Vincent Price Reemembered

2012-05-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting a manipulated caricature of Vincent Price which was requested by one of my many friends at Google+. I wanted to work with a color image but just couldn't find the right one. I decided to use the source image below and do a faded blue monochromatic image and just add color to the eyes. I saw one done similar of Keith Richards of the Stones by Sebastian Kruger. It's amazing. Well, mine is certainly no Kruger and I'm not totally happy with the way it came out but it was an experiment, so I'll take what I learned from it and move on to the next one. I'm thinking about Steven Tyler of Aerosmith next. I've got to do something with those lips before he gets too old.

Don't forget to stop by and bookmark my new web site if you haven't already: RodneyPike.com. As always, thanks for the support!!

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RodneyPike.com Optimized For Mobile Devices

2012-05-17T20:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm making a post about my new web site, RodneyPike.com. I've done a little work on the appearance and did some optimization testing for browsers, iPads and iPhones today. Above is a browser view and below are the iPad and iPhone views. I tried to make the previews relative in size, or as close as I could get them so you could view the set sort of how they would appear together. They can be clicked on to view larger but depending on your browser, you may not be able to view the top one in detail. Please stop by the site and bookmark and or subscribe via email or RSS. It has a blog built in which will mirror this blog for the time being, but I eventually will move everything into one all purpose site. Small steps for now though. My blog won't be going anywhere anytime soon if at all. Thanks for the support guys!

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Tim Burton - One Man Show ~ RodneyPike.com

2012-05-14T21:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm posting a caricature manipulation I did of Tim Burton this weekend. It's the second time I've done him but he was so much fun the first time, I had to do another. This time, I tried to bring his work to life just a bit in the background. If this looks strangely similar to the first one to you, that's because it is. It was done from a different photo but he was wearing the exact same outfit as in the first one. I also borrowed the glasses and the eyes from the first caricature because he was looking the wrong way in this source image. I also did quite a bit of work on his hair and whiskers. I was going to post it yesterday but decided to hold it for the first official post on my new web site which launches at noon tomorrow, RodneyPike.com. I've been needing to do this for a while and now it is up. It will change and evolve over time but I have something to work with now and I have my name registered which I really needed to do. The following link, RodneyPike.com will be officially go live at noon tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15th. Please stop by and check it out and don't forget to subscribe. There are several ways you can get the feed quick and simple. Thanks so much for the support guys!

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RodneyPike.com is Here!

2012-05-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! I'm making this post to announce the launch of my new web site, RodneyPike.com. The developer and I have a few loose ends to tighten up, so I will launch it first thing in the morning, May 15th, 2012 which just happens to be my wedding anniversary so it's time to break out the good stuff! I said last year that 2012 was going to be my year and this web site is just the one of the cool things happening. I have some great new commissions on the way with some very prominent international clients so I'm excited about what 2012 will bring. It has already started off with a bang.

My new domain, RodneyPike.com is generously being built, hosted and sponsored by Dustin Salmons of SupremePress.com which is a new hosting platform for content creators. Since my work will now be published through the SPCM Network, my followers can engage with the site through the community @ http://SP.cm as well.

Contact:

Dustin Salmons

Brand Personalization

http://BrandPersonalization.com

SPCM Network

http://SP.cm

Facebook

http://facebook.com/CDSalmons

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Vic Gundotra - Top Google Executive Slightly Tweeked

2012-05-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

Vivek "Vic" Gundotra is Senior Vice-President of Social Business for Google and was previously a general manager at Microsoft. I had the pleasure of meeting him this week in a Google+ Hangout. He's a super nice guy and very down to earth. It's nice to know we have someone at the top of the google ladder who not only cares about us little guys, but takes the time to visit with us in a very personal setting. Vic wasn't the easiest caricature I've done. I did several sketches of him trying to decide which way to go with the exaggeration. He has a nice smile, strong jawline and pretty thick eyebrows, but that's about all I had to work with. He's one of those guys you just can't make too ugly, so I decided to go very subtle which I think works best for him. Besides, he knows where to find me and I didn't want to offend jim. :) Oh and the guy in the background... don't ask me how he got in there...??? Below is the original source image.

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Fat and Arrogant

2012-05-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

Quite a while back, I did a caricature study similar to this simply called Arrogant. It was an experiment on exaggerating the facial features that made this guy look arrogant. I decided to do another version with a different twist. The first one was quite skinny as in the source image so I did a fat version this time called "Far and Arrogant". I think the first one screams arrogant a bit more than this one does but this image shows the improvement of my exaggeration skills and is much more precise and clean.

Here's the older version below:

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Lionel Messi - A Caricature Study

2012-04-30T11:31:00.001-05:00

Back by popular demand, Lionel Messi. The first manipulated caricature I did of Messi has been one of the most popular I have done to date. This man is definitely well loved all over the world. I've wanted to do another for a while but didn't have the right image to work with. I found this one which is not the best quality but was a good 3/4 head shot, so I decided to give it a go. This was totally experimental and fun work for me. I really took my time in the early stages with the direction I would take the exaggeration. It's not my best work but I feel like I learned from it and that's what these non-commissioned images are all about. It's all a learning experience.

I am also just now starting to experiment with digital painting from scratch but I need instruction and direction. I don't want to develop any bad habits. I do intend on taking formal caricature lessons from Jason Seiler but I want to get the basics down and get comfortable drawing and painting again digitally before I do. So, look forward to seeing some changes in my style, hopefully for the better as I incorporate more and more paining into my manipulations and start producing some more "traditional" painted caricatures in the very near future. I have received such a positive response though from my current methods and style that I will continue with this, not changing anything drastic anytime soon. These changes will come gradually and subtly as I learn and like I've in the past, I'll just let it lead me where ever it leads me and develop into what ever it's going to develop into naturally. It's the only way I know how to learn. I'm mainly just looking to broaden my horizons and diversify my skills as I learn caricature illustration which I love so much. Check out some of the sick ball handling skills by Messi in this short video clip below. Good things to come so stay tuned folks!!

Lionel Messi Source Image:

Lionel Messi in action!

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Cliff Roth - Digital Artist - Caricature Trade

2012-04-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm posting the finished caricature of friend and digital artist Cliff Roth, AKA +Cliff Roth on Google+. He does some amazing speed-painting hangouts there. Here's his speed painting web site: Plustastic.com. Cliff and I are trading caricatures of each other and we both keep getting bogged down in other work and have procrastinated. Well, I couldn't have him beat me, so I bot his done this weekend. I'm going to add mine to my growing collection of art by friends of mine from all over the world. I met Cliff in person at the New York City HIRL 2012, +NCYHIRL. "Hangout in real life" to those of you who aren't familiar with the term. It was great to be able to meet so many of my Google+ friends there. The source image below is a cropped version of a shot taken on the Brooklyn Bridge after a Photo-walk by New York Photographer Boris Gorelik, AKA +Boris Gorelik on Google+. You can also find him on GoBoris.com. Boris is the one popping out of the trash can to shoot a picture. Boris ALWAYS gets his shot, no matter where he has to put himself to get it, so that's why I used him there. Both of these guys are talented artists super nice, so if you're on G+ you'll want to circle them for sure.

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Joe Lieberman - Serving It Up

2012-04-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

I decided to go with something simple for the completed Joe Lieberman caricature. I was thinking about doing a complex two person situational manipulation but I decided I need to just stick with some basic images so I can get the practice in on exaggeration when I'm not doing commissioned work. So this was just a practice piece and what was most important to me is the exaggeration and detail in the face. The really crazy stuff will come after I get more confident with caricatures. You'll notice that there is quite a bit more detail that the source image. There was a lot of high resolution dodging, burning and painting in the end stages. The final piece was 12 inches tall at 300 DPI. The original source image is below.

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Joe Lieberman Caricature Work in Progress - WIP

2012-04-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm posting a manipulated caricature work in progress, (WIP) of Senator Joe Lieberman. I like this image of Lieberman with that "I'm not impressed" expression on his face, so I thought I would experiment with him. The source image below is not the best quality. I had to do quite a bit of enhancement to get some detail in his face. This caricature is in a rough state and subject to quite a bit of change although I'm not totally unpleased with the exaggeration. I have no idea yet what I'm going to do with this but I think it has potential. I would like to do a full situational manipulation with another politician. I'll have to put some thought into it.

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California 90420 is Here! ...in Theaters 4/20/12

2012-04-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CALIFORNIA, 90420 Marijuana Documentary offering an in-depth look inside Oaksterdam University, “Weed College,” Opens on 4/20/12.

Oaksterdam University Was Recently Raided by Federal Agents

Each year, marijuana enthusiasts and activists around the country gather to celebrate 4/20 as a holiday. This year, a new documentary entitled CALIFORNIA, 90420 will be released on 4/20/12 in over 50 theaters nationwide, making it one the widest theatrical releases ever for a marijuana-related documentary.

90420 focuses on the rapidly open and growing marijuana trade in the State of California, which is setting precedent for the rest of the nation. The film explores the burgeoning ‘above ground’ industry through the eyes of four, 20-something characters whose real lives are caught up in the changing green landscape. This groundbreaking feature documentary is directed by Dean Shull, one of the guys that brought you the hit comedy, WAITING…

The release of CALIFORNIA 90420 could not be timelier, and not just because of the upcoming annual national celebration day of marijuana on April 20th. The film follows faculty and students at California’s Oaksterdam University, the nation’s first college to prepare students for careers in the ever changing marijuana industry and the epicenter of legalization efforts in California. Last Monday, federal agents from the DEA and IRS raided Oaksterdam University as well as the home of Oaksterdam University Founder, Richard Lee. Although medical marijuana is legal in California, it is still prohibited under federal law, leaving Oaksterdam in a precarious legal limbo.

With Oaksterdam University now the subject of intense media scrutiny, CALIFORNIA 90420 offers viewers a unique, unfiltered perspective into what really takes place behind the doors of the school. Following last week’s raid, Richard Lee announced his intention to step down as the leader of Oaksterdam University and pass the pipe to Dale Sky Jones, the current Executive Chancellor of Oaksterdam University.

A share of proceeds from the opening weekend box office will be donated to Oaksterdam University, in order to help ensure the school’s continued survival. CALIFORNIA 90420 will open on April 20, 2012, in select cities in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

CALIFORNIA 90420 is a New Coast Productions Film directed by Dean Shull (Waiting) and produced and written by Dean Shull, Steve Roberts and Colin Goldman. The film features Dale Sky Jones and Oaksterdam co-founders Richard Lee and Jeff Jones.

For more information on CALIFORNIA 90420, including a complete list of theaters showing the film, please visit: www.90420.com.

Press Contacts:

John Murphy, MURPHY PR, (212) 414-0408, jmurphy@murphypr.com

Russ Posternak, MURPHY PR, (212) 414-0408, assistant@murphypr.com

Movie Trailer

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Jon Stewart Work In Progress (WIP)

2012-04-10T12:52:00.001-05:00

This is a manipulated caricature of Jon Stewart of The Daily Show. It's a work in progress, (WIP) in a pretty rough state at this point. I was just messing around with it this morning. I'm not sure where it's going yet. I often do several of these and set them aside until The time is right. Just not feeling it today. I also picked this image because it is straight on and not much expression which is more of a challenge. Not every image I get is perfect for a caricature so I need practice working with less. You'll probably see him in a more finished state soon. I'll see how it goes. I've been real busy lately with some jobs and interviews that weren't so glamorous or fun for that matter and it has taken a lot of my time. My blog posts have suffered as a result but I'm trying to get back into the swing and cranking out practice work. The jobs are great but I really love experimenting and learning. More to come real soon. I have a few cool images lined up for the coming weeks. On to the next experiment. Someone just suggested Joe Lieberman so I may give him a go this afternoon.

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SportsChat.TV with Host Brooke Brown

2012-04-08T21:10:00.002-05:00

Everyone knows I'm a lover of art but I also enjoy my sports. If you love sports and love talking sports of any kind, you are going to love this feature. But it's not just for sports fans, it's also for the athletes themselves. Fans and Athletes can hangout together using Google Plus Hangout Technology and discuss the current topic, whether it be a particular sport, a team, an athlete or even fitness.

Tonight I'm featuring an awesome new site called SportsChat.TV along with the CEO, Owner and Host of SportsChat.TV's weekly broadcasts, Brooke Brown AKA +Brooke Brown at Google+ You can also find a business page on Google+ called +SportsChat.TV which is the live broadcast headquarters for the show. Brooke is also a good friend of mine and is doing a great job with this new site. If you're a member of Google+, you'll definitely want to circle Brooke and the business page at the links mentioned above as well as requesting to be added to the Sports Circle that Brooke curates both from her personal and business pages. You can access her web site by clicking on the link above as well as either of the two graphics. Brooke has also provided us with an episode of the show below called Golf / The Masters.

My name is Brooke Brown, and I have been passionate about sports since I was about three years old. Makes sense that after getting my Bachelors of Arts in Communication from the University of Arizona, I would hope to pursue a career in media relations or broadcasting. Thus, when I was introduced to the hangout technology on Google+, and an idea to create something, this site was born. SportsChat.TV aims to bring fans and athletes together via uncensored conversation in a live broadcast hangout setting which can accommodate up to nine people. With the innovative technology utilized here, we are able to break down geographical barriers present as well as the communication barriers conventional television and radio have also inadvertently put into place over the years. Times have changed but so have we. Come join us in a Google+ Hangout via +SportsChat.TV. You can also find an archive of sports shows on my YouTube Channel. We would love to have you. Please also connect with us on our new Facebook page, Twitter, and Google+. Hope to see you there!

"Golf / The Masters" from SportsChat.TV's YouTube Channel

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Last chance... Click below:

Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho Caricatured - Signing

2012-03-25T20:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight I'm posting three images of Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho taken by Photographer Marcos Borges from Odense, Denmark as he was presenting the caricature portrait I did of Mr. Coelho from a photograph taken by Marcos as a gift. Marcos also got the Writer to autograph two other matted copies for Marcos and myself. It should be on the way in the mail now. Looking forward to it. Below is the completed portrait and source image as well as an interview with Mr. Coelho.

Marcos presenting the portrait to Paulo Coelho

The finished manipulated caricature of Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho. The original image was taken by Photographer Marcos Borges from Odense, Denmark. Marcos has plans to take the image to Mr. Coelho and get it autographed...actually two copies, one for each of us. I like guy's features. He was a lot of fun. One of the few that went real fast. Below is the original source image. Before this there was a liquify sketch posted here.

Paulo Coelho by Photographer Marcos Borges

Paulo Coelho Interview 2008

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Eric Pouhier - A Google+ Caricature Commission

2012-03-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

Today I posting a portrait I finished yesterday of Eric Pouhier, AKA +Eric Pouhier of Google+. Eric's interests are Photography, Mathematics and Engineering. Eric originates from France, hence the background and added French touches. There's also a "Math Doesn't Suck" test book as well as a medal I made for a music competition he won in 1986. This was a really fun project. Eric had no specific requests so I was able to do my thing...what ever that is. Eric supplied several nice source images with some great expressions which really makes my job easier and more enjoyable. I can't tell you how may times people send me stoned faced pics wanting me to make it funny. If you look at the source images below, there were two images that I liked but couldn't decide which one to use. Thankfully with Eric's rock steady poses, I was able to take the best parts of both with the parts matching up almost perfectly. Below the source pics is a capture of my work in progress, (WIP) canvas just as it was on my Cintiq.

Work in Progress Canvas

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Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho Caricatured

2012-03-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm posting the finished manipulated caricature of Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho. The original image was taken by Photographer Marcos Borges from Odense, Denmark. Marcos has plans to take the image to Mr. Coelho and get it autographed...actually 2 copies, one for each of us. I like guy's features. He was a lot of fun. One of the few that went real fast. Below is the original source image.

"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
― Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho by Photographer Marcos Borges

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Brazilian Novelist Paulo Coelho - WIP Sketch

2012-03-11T21:10:00.001-05:00

Tonight I'm posting a work in progress (WIP) of Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho which I hope to have finished tomorrow. This is a quick liquify sketch to be used as reference for the final piece. The image below was taken by Photographer Marcos Borges from Odense, Denmark. Marcos has plans to take the image to Mr. Coelho and get it autographed...actually 2 copies, one for each of us. It will be cool to hang in my little gallery I'm growing in my house which consists mostly of art from my friends.

Paulo Coelho

I lived through the webinar yesterday!

I made it through my first webinar through RetouchPro LIVE yesterday. I appreciate those of you who were able to get tickets and attend. I also want to thank all of you who couldn't make it but have shown me so much support getting ready for this. You guys made it easy for me as did the owner and host Doug Nelson. It was lots of fun and I learned a lot. The next one will be much better and should be a blast. If you weren't able to attend the webinar, Doug has made it available in his video archive for rental, so no excuse guys. You can watch it at your leisure. It is ready for viewing as of today on the Video Rentals Page on Doug's site. You can also click the banner above to get to the rentals page. There will be many more to come with RetouchPro LIVE in the future so stay tuned. In fact, please take a moment to visit and bookmark my rental page on RetouchProLIVE.com. Thanks guys!!

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RetouchPRO LIVE Webinar Caricature Demo (Now for rent at RetouchPro LIVE)

2012-03-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

OK friends, you've been asking for it and here it is. The date and time is set for a 'start to finish' live weninar featuring a caricature demo of our guest of honor, Google+ Heavy Hitter, YouTube Powerhouse, Technology Strategist and more, Chris Pirillo along with RetouchPro LIVE host Doug Nelson.

The webinar is scheduled for March 10th at 4:00pm CST. Check the site for your local time zone. The webinar will be approximately 2 hours long, possibly a little longer. I'm working now to try and condense 2 days of work into 2 hours for this event. People keep asking me how I do what I do and will I ever do a video on my work process, so this is your opportunity. The link to the tickets is below as well as other information on this great site. I'm not the only act there. The archives are full of great videos and there are more on the way so check it out. Watch my screen live as I create this caricature from start-to-finish. Doug and I will chat as I work to give you an opportunity to learn about my process and techniques, and we will be taking questions from the audience. Feel free to share this with all of your friends. Get Your Ticket Here. See you next Saturday!

Follow +Chris Pirillo on Google+, check out his web site: http://chris.pirillo.com/ and become a Gnomie at http://www.gnomies.com/ and reap the VIP benefits offered by Chris at this cool site and enjoyed by many. I have my membership. :)

Below is the original source image of Chris Pirillo which will be used in the webinar:

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Random Goth Kid Animated Work Process - WIP

2012-02-26T20:24:00.000-06:00

Tonight I'm posting an example of a work in progress of this Goth kid I did for practice a while back. The transition where he goes pale is where I used a tiny bit of liquify for the hair, jawline, jacket and some very small tweaks when I desaturated his face, but 95% of the work was done with the standard warp tool.

I received an email from Janet Wozniak yesterday with images of Steve Wozniak of Apple fame for a caricature that I am about to start on tomorrow so that will be coming soon. I've been wanting to caricature Steve for quite some time so this should be lots of fun.

Below is the original source image for the Goth kid.

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Steven Spielberg WIP Animated Gif - Video Soon!

2012-02-22T14:58:00.000-06:00

I'm making a post at the request of many people who want to know my process of manipulating a caricature. This is a very quick animated gif of the process I used on this particular caricature. My methods have since changed and there are some steps left out here because they weren't retained in the original PSD. I am planning to record my entire process at full resolution, step by step in a time lapse video from blank canvas to finished product very soon. I'm ready to get started on the project now and want to get it up on my YouTube Channel as soon as possible, so I need to download what ever software I need to record this. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on software? My main concern is the quality of the image and the detail. I would love this to be in HD. The original post for this caricature including the source image is below. Maybe +Robert Redl can help.

Original post with full resolution final product.

Tonight I have Steven Spielberg for you. I used this same image in a photo manipulation before but it wasn't a caricature. It's a great image although he is missing the top of his head, but that's easy enough to fix. I've posted that image below for comparison. Spielberg is a great subject and I really enjoyed this caricature. Glasses are always a bit of a challenge when doing photo-manipulated caricatures but I think this one came out ok. I'm not sure about the background. I may change that later. I was in a rush to get it finished before it got too late. Hope you like it.

Original source imege below:

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20 Plus Years With Clinical Depression and Anxiety... Oh Yeah And Pope Benedict XVI

2012-02-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

Hello friends. I'm back behind my computer again and doing well. Thanks to all of you who have shown me so much support and well wishes over the past week or so. A big thanks also to Catherine M for assisting me in keeping things alive while I was ill and recovering from minor surgery. I had to have something to show for when I returned so I did a quick study of Pope Benedict XVI. Bigger and better things coming real soon!

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll give you a brief overview. I have suffered from severe anxiety and depression for quite some time. I've only told a hand full of people about my struggles and those who know don't know nearly the extent of my battles. I've chosen not to say anything to anyone on the web these last couple of years because I have been and still am on disability. Not because I'm ashamed of it because I'm certainly not. When I set out to make a name for myself as an artist which by the way has been my life long dream, I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me or doing any favors for me because of a "disability". I wanted to make it on my own by the quality of my work, not sympathy. Very few people know of my story and even fewer know that it has been a 20 plus year battle. I'm not going to go into great detail, because I am making a video telling my story soon which I hope can help someone out there dealing with the same or similar issues.

I have been over the years been diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Clinical Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and at my worst Bipolar and Agoraphobia. I lived a life of hopelessness for many years and seldom got out of my bed. The good news is that after laying my art down for over 20 years, the passion that I once had for art as a young man and the desire to become an illustrator returned. Most of you know that story from interviews but I'll be talking more about that in the near future. Bottom line, art saved my life. It has given me purpose and joy for the fist time in my life.

I am enjoying a level of notoriety and acceptance in the art world that I only dreamed of as a child. All of that is due to the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement from FreakingNews.com to facebook, to Google+ and more. Thanks to all who have stuck by me through all of this and given me the encouragement to believe that I can make it, and thanks for appreciating the work that I love so much. A very special thanks to some dear friends I've made on Google+ and generally hangout with on a daily basis. Your kind words, support and love shown is greatly appreciated and has everything to do with my recovery. I also want to thank a bunch of folks that sometimes get a bad rap for being facebook members. I have over 7,000 friends on facebook and have received overwhelming support and love from many of those friends. Say what you want about facebook but I received over 700 Birthday wishes from there alone. I appreciate everyone of you. No I didn't forget my wife Lydia. She has seen me through hell and back many times and has always been faithful, loving and always there for me. Sorry I can't name everyone. There are so many. I'm a lucky man.

All of this to say in short that I am back. I'm doing better, my spirits are high, my future looks bright, the inspiration is back and the fire is burning again. This will all make much more sense when I explain it in detail. I plan on releasing a video very soon and hopefully let some young folks out there know they are not alone and they don't have to lose 20 years of their lives. They can get help now. I would like to thanks Mike Shaw for going public with his story. It really helped me with this situation and has encouraged me to share my own story. It's been a long, winding road but there's a rainbow at the end. Follow your passion people, it can change your life!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day and be inspired!

Where has Rodney been lately?

2012-02-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends and fans of Rodney Pike. I am his wife, Lydia. I wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for your kindness and support of Rodney over the past year or so. I don't know if you all know it but Rodney suffers from severe anxiety and depression and until he stumbled up Freaking News recently, he had lost all hope of ever finding something he could do and feel good about, subsequently leaving him on disability. Since that time, he has done all these awesome images you've seen here and in his gallery. Rodney credits his art as having "saved his life." His passion for what he does and so many new friends and fans who look forward to the next caricature, gave him something to get up for everyday.

Of course none of what you see in his gallery can be sold. They are only practice work and studies of technique. He can not sell it if he does not own the copyright on the original image. There are some that he has done for customers for in-kind trades or pro-bono for people who have helped him is extraordinary ways to publicize himself or have given him guidance along the way. There are some real commissions which he has been able to get money for - always a good thing and certainly helps pay for all the technology behind the work. It is Rodney's dream that his work becomes so well known and sought after that he is able to make a living off of it and completely replace his disability income and health insurance. We all know that with time, this is entirely possible because his work is unique and extraordinary in so many ways. There is nothing like it out there.

Unfortunately, friends, Rodney's dream may not come to pass. In fact, it is possible that you may not see anything new from Rodney for some time, if ever. Not that he does not want to. If anyone out there is familiar with Depression at any level, you know that when you get 'kicked in the stomach" or someone continually attacks you emotionally, you loose the desire to do even those things that brought you joy. Rodney has been and is under constant emotional attack by his ex-wife. She has turned both of his children against him and despite our having provided much more support than the court would have required over the years, she continues to try to squeeze more and more money out of him. She knows that we do not have much and certainly have nothing to spare. But now, using his art social media and his blog against him, she noted he posted that he got some 'commissions' and she has accused him of being 'under employed' and wants more money.

Consequently, just the anticipation of yet another ugly court battle with that woman has Rodney emotionally paralyzed. Those who wonder why you have not heard from him, he is thinking of you all and speaks of you all, He wants to 'Hang out" but can't bring himself out of this melancholy state and he can not see beyond the doldrums. Needless to say he is artistically muted as well. It is all he can do to post previous work and maintain a slight presence on Google+, his blog and facebook. What this woman does not realize (or perhaps she does) is that in her attempts to get any extra money he may have the ability to make, she is effectively rendering him unable to do anything and he is ready to throw in the towel. She will benefit nothing, unless her goal is to destroy him completely.

Please be patient as Rodney works through this. Know that your words of encouragement and your continued support are being heard and appreciated. Let's keep lifting him and encouraging in his art. The world needs humor. The world needs laughter. The world needs the unique art style of Rodney Pike. Let's keep reminding him of that.

With kindest regards and sincerity,

Lydia C. Pike

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Gone To The New York City +HIRL - 2012 For G+

2012-02-01T21:02:00.000-06:00

I will be gone to New York City for the +HIRL or Hangout In Real Life with about 80 other friends. We will be doing live hangouts at Google+ so if you don't have an account, you need to get one. It's going to be a lot of fun and I'll meet many of the friends I've made at Google+ as well as one facebook friend. Lots of activities planned so this will be a real treetLook me up at +Rodney Pike on G+. See you next week!!

Goodnight all!!

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Steve Martin ~ The Pink Panther 2.5

2012-01-31T10:03:00.001-06:00

I love this image of Steve Martin in The Pink Panther. I've wanted to do a caricature of Steve Martin for quite some time but never found the right image. This image was small and lacked detail but worked ok for a low resolution practice run. I've also been wanting to caricature a skyline and this silly expression was a good candidate for that type of background. This is really a very mild caricature as Steve Martin pretty much does the work for you with his awesome facial expressions. Below is the source image I worked with and a short video with a taste of this great comedian in at work in The Pink Panther 1.

Comedian Steve Martin in action:

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