THIRD TIMES THE CHARM
Or sometimes capturing someones likeness, isn't as easy as just putting pencil to paper

Michael Weatherly, Art © Neil Feigeles,  April 24, 2016

Recently as mentioned in this blog, I had the fun job of being a Sketch artist in a Court Room scene shot for the new Michael Weatherly television series Bull, well actually the pilot, the series hasn't been picked up… yet.
Its always fun when you get to a set, sometimes not knowing which actors you will be working with, or at least who you will be able to watch work. Learn from the people doing  what I'm striving to do. In the case of Bull, I honestly didn't know that the actor from such series as Dark Angel and of course NCIS was even involved. That is until I walked on set.  And saw him standing there and I went, yes! Talk about a pleasant surprise. 
So much fun getting the chance to just sit back and do what I like best, just sketch away, watching as what I see, is interpreted by my talents and transformed into works of art. If not in my eyes, at least in others. And when you are sketching, trying to capture likenesses, the client is really the person you want to please, even more so then yourself. Hopefully, in this case, whatever you put down to paper will be what the Director and any and all people behind the camera and in front of it, get visually what they are looking for.

While I did get to watch Michael Weatherly work, I didn't get the chance to sketch him during the three days I spent on set. Something I hoped to be able to do, I mean how many times am I gonna be in the same room with the actor, this could be my one shot. Alas where I was set up to sketch, he wasn't, so I never got my opportunity to try.  
Hopefully if the show gets picked up, perhaps if I'm lucky enough to score the gig again, next time Micheal Weatherly will be set up where I will be able to use him as a model in one of my drawings.
So this past week I decided, to try to capture his likeness, and as it happens with certain faces, sometimes it takes more then one try, to as Tim Gunn would say "Make it work".

When I illustrated Whitney Houston in oil paint for the cover of a Tribute comic book, my first attempt on canvas, for whatever reason, just didn't feel right. And the more I attempted to right what was wrong in the art, the less it looked like the great singer. So after a week of painting, I scrapped the canvas and bought a new board to paint on. And happily this time, from the first brush stroke, the art felt right. Actually it was more of the case of not doing too much. Cause sometimes, you can actually over do it, and actually lose the essence of the person you are trying to capture. One of the tricks of the trade, is to to know when to stop and say, my job is done.
I brought that story up, because believe it or not, Michael Weatherly turned out to be someone not so easy to capture. It actually took me 3 attempts to get to the final art,
which I sketched on April 24, 2016.  It was drawn with Prismacolor pencils on 30 lb  8.5 x 12 white paper. and if you ask me I think my job is done. I look at the sketch, I see him, I'm happy.  Hopefully you're agree.

If you do, and would like to see more, please check out these links: At Red Bubble and Fine Art America you can buy my art in various formats as well as clothes:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/neilfeigeles/works/21644885-michael-weatherly

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/michael-weatherly-neil-feigeles.html?newartwork=true

Thanks for visiting today. Questions, comments, commissions…
Neil 

SO NOW I'M A CLOTHES DESIGNER…
WHO KNEW?
Seems my having fun with my iPhone has maybe transformed me into the next Project Runway Contestant.
As some of you know I've been discovering another part of my creative world, photography. And have been showcasing that part of my creative life on Instagram. Well recently I've been putting some of those images on Red Bubble, where my art and now digital photography can be purchased as t-shirts, prints and many other items. 
Here's a link to those.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/neilfeigeles/collections/499549-photography

Well, I was recently contacted by another site Vida (or ShopVida, as they like to be called), to sell my art, actually mostly my photography. Its pretty nifty to see what was once something that made you pause and take a few shots to seeing them transformed (if I do say so myself), into really pretty cool looking wearable clothes. 
Maybe my obsession with Project Runway, including those from other nations (showcased on Youtube), have led me to this. 
Well at least next year for Christmas and other occasions, when I never know what to get for my friends and loved ones, I think I now know where to buy scarfs and pretty frocks. Way cool.

And here's the link to that.
http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/neil-feigeles

Currently there are 100 items online for you to look at. Here are just a few to make you go… hm. 

Hope you like. check out the site, perhaps maybe I could help decorate your life as well as your walls.

Neil

MY LIFE HAS COME FULL CIRCLE… AGAIN
Seemingly my life as an actor has transformed back into my life as an artist. Or has it just finally merged into one
I find it fascinating that my work as an actor and background performer has seemingly awoken the artist in me and in the eyes of the public. As I've gotten the chance over the last year and a half to use my talents as an illustrator and portrait artist to showcase my talents on screen. In a crazy way, my love of art and the thrill I get every time I create something new and my love for performance was always meant to join forces. Maybe thats my niche in this crazy business we call show, they say you must have to set you apart. 

Actor Luke Slattery with sketch I did of him and actress Dena Tyler, drawn on day 3.

As showcased in the pictures here, my latest gig was working on the pilot for Michael Weatherly's new television show 'Bull'. For three days, I was cast as a Court Room Sketch Artist. The art above was done on the third day, talented up and coming actor, Luke Slattery was featured testifying in court most of the day. Sadly I couldn't capture Dena Tyler, the actresses face in the sketch. Hopefully I'll get another chance when (if) the series gets picked up and begins taping its first season's episodes. I mean somebody might be cast to sketch again in court scenes, and it might as well be me right. Lets hope I passed the audition for that part, if they ever start looking. 
As the day was going on, one of the actors playing a jurist went over to Luke to tell him about the art. Well luckily for me he was thrilled.  He took a few snaps as the art was developing through out the day and at the end, after I wrapped, I gave the him the sketch as a gift. And he was gracious enough to allow me to photograph him for my records. Is it me, or should he have been cast as the new Peter Parker, I think Steve Ditko himself, might agree with me on this one.
So I basically got paid to sit in a real Court Room in Yonkers, New York, on a television pilot, and simply sketch to my hearts content. Well, that is when I was allowed on set.  The great thing was, there were several hours where I was on set while they were setting up the scenes, and I got the chance to watch the real work that you usually don't see unless you're in the inner circle. The one where the actors, the directors and the crew get all their ducks in a row,  preparing for the shoot.  For the action. I felt this much closer to my goal of being in their inner circle, while my friends the working background looked at me as if I had arrived. 
It doesn't get much better then that for me.  The best part it seemed, good or bad everyone liked what I was doing. Personally its always thrilling when your subject's and the people paying your bills get excited about what you create. The look on their faces can be the best part of the gig.   Below are the other sketches I did while working on Bull.

 On the set of Bull, Jane Dashow as Judge Greenfield. Drawn on day 1.  

Jane Dashow and Peter Francis James as Clyde Rutledge, this sketch drawn on day 1 of the shoot, and will be featured on camera as I'm drawing it.

Jane Dashow, Peter Francis James, and Katherine Reis. Dawn on day 2.

Katherine Reis as Taylor Bensimon on the witness stand, drawn on day 2.

My abilites as an artist have been showcased on several television programs including: Law  and Order as a Court Room sketch artist. As the hands of a serial killer, pretending to be a sketch artist in the park on Law and Order: CI. I was the lead in the film The Painter as the Painter, and most recently I was seen as Court Room Sketch Artist's in the upcoming season 2 Premiere of The Jim Gaffigan Show and as showcased here, the Pilot episode of the new Michael Weatherly series, Bull.
I just had an idea. Perhaps I need to pitch a series about a Court Room Sketch Artist, the silent witness if you will, to each criminal case tried in court, cant't remember that ever being done before. And for once the actor playing the character wouldn't need a photo double doing the art. Now, if I can get a meeting with Dick Wolf…  

Guess thats it for now, hope you enjoyed the view.
Neil