Strangetown extras: Johnny, Ripp and Ophelia artwork

[strangetomato]

I previously mentioned that my significant other had agreed to use his artistic talents to create caricatures of some of the characters in my Strangetown story, and he just came home and presented me with the finished product. How exciting! I chose Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia as the subjects, and I'm quite pleased by the results. 

So, what do you think?

Edited to Add:

Also, check out his comic blog, The Box Factory, if you're interested in seeing more of his work. Be warned that there is some crude humour, but don't let that scare you away. If nothing else, I recommend that you check out this illustration of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song as 3D shape poem.

 

Comments

[sinderellah.livejournal.com]

LOL!! I think it's great. He sure got Johnny's nose right, didn't he? ;) Ripp looks a little more skeezy than I imagine him, I'd probably succumb to the Sim-version's advances sooner than the caricature-version. Ophelia is cute, as usual. Thanks for sharing! (and tell your bf thanks as well)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Johnny was the easiest to caricature, by far, since he has the most extreme features, like the needle nose. I think he's great. Ripp's less pretty here, for sure, but I expected that he'd end up like that (with the long hair and the scruff). I saw an earlier version of him that was even worse. I quite like the sleazy vibe he gave him. I was wondering how he'd deal with Ophelia, since she has the most conservative features and styling, but he gave her a bit of flair too.

I'll be sure to pass on the comments to him.

[franwi.livejournal.com]

Awesome! This made me laugh so much because it's just too good. I especially love Johnny's nose and eyes. Ripp's hair is great with that one ear showing, and Phi's topknot. ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

They're pretty funny, aren't they? I think he really pegged them in a lot of ways. If I ever start to take them too seriously, I can come back here to look at this.

I like how big Ripp's head is. There was an earlier version where he had this giant forehead, which I talked my SO out of, and I'm glad he did it this way instead, since it's a better likeness.

I love how he did Phi's topknot. It has such a Ren and Stimpy quality to it (which makes sense, as he's a big fan).

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Aww, they're cute! I always imagine Ophelia with wider hips though. I have no idea why. Must be that H&M outfit she wears. She looks positively sassy here though!

Can't wait to see more artwork. :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's one of the reasons I like that H&M outfit for Ophelia. It doesn't make her seem super skinny. I don't picture her that way either (in fact, I might let her get a little larger at some point). I always imagine that Johnny is the thinnest of the three, based on his features, and the tallest too (but that may just be based on Ripp's tendency to slouch - Johnny usually towers over him in most pics).

Aren't they cute, though? :D

[jessicus.livejournal.com]

it's awesome! He really captured the characters, hehe, please say I can use this for a painting recolour! =]

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You mean, like make it into a painting to put into the game? That would be awesome! I haven't done any recolours like that but I would love to make some custom paintings, or recolour the photo frames to include the actual characters to put on their wall. I'd love to see you make this into a painting.

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Haha, this is awesome! Phi looks like a bit of a spaz, I love it!

He got Johnny's nose PERFECTLY.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I know. She does! Not nearly as serious as she should be. To be fair, I didn't tell him anything about the characters, so this is based solely on a couple of reference shots. I think he did rather well with what he had.

The nose is the big winner, for sure. It's spot on, but just more like it is.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Love the nose.

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

OMG, I can't stop laughing. I'll scroll down and recover, but as soon as I scroll back up, I burst out laughing again.

This is soooooooooooo freaking amazing! Of the three, I think Johnny most resembles his sim-counterpart. Like others have said, the nose of perfect! Ripp does look more sleazy than usual. I didn't think he could get any sleazier, but there ya go! Phi looks like Phi. I love how he drew her hair thou.

Pleeeease tell me he'll do the other major characters!!! Perhaps a Grunt family portrait, before Buzz died, or the huge party that is the Curious family? Thou, that's like a dozen people at this point, which might be a bit much.

Your SO gets two thumbs up for this!!!!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are quite funny, aren't they? *grin* I'm so pleased.

Johnny is definitely the most accurate one. He's the easiest one to do, since he has the most unique features. The nose is great, but I love that space between the nose and lips too (which is very long on Johnny), and his lack of lips. And the cheekbones. Everything, really. He really nailed him.

Well, I (and numerous other characters in the story) have said that Ripp is sleazy, so here he is. *snicker* I think there is a lot of truth in this depiction, even if he is a lot rougher looking than he should be. I see him as an attractive guy who is very unkempt. No wonder the General couldn't deal with it. The hair mesh that I use on him seems a little unwashed to me too - maybe that's why he's always scratching his head. *snicker*

He might be convinced to do another drawing like this eventually, but I wouldn't even ask him again right away. He has his own work to do, and this was a big favour to me. He just got a deal with a small newspaper to publish his comic strip, so that's going to keep him pretty busy.

I would love to see him do Nervous Subject, and that would definitely be my next suggestion, even though he frequently expresses his dislike for "moon-faced" people, which is a category that Nervous definitely falls into (yes, we really do have conversations like that). When he first saw Ripp, he asked me why I made such a skeety (skeazy) guy. *snort* Then he pointed out a guy in a band we were watching at the bar a couple of weekends ago and said he looked like "that sim with the long hair". I got really excited (like you would), but he wasn't a Ripp clone. He was pretty cute, but not really the same. His hair was a lot longer too. (Okay, now I'm just rambling...)

Thanks. I'll be sure to pass those thumbs up on to him.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh that is so awesome! Your SO is very talented and I just love caricatures! I'd like to see his take on the rest of the Strangetown gang *cough* Curious *cough* sometime too if he's ever in the mood, lol! Really cool of him to do this for you!

If all the sims in the world were to disappear in that giant fiery ball visible from space, my hubby would freaking jump up and down clapping and do a little happy dance. Pisser. lol.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's talented, no doubt. He's been focusing on the comic thing for a while now, and he's getting really good at it. If I got nothing else out of art school (besides a lifetime of great material to laugh at), at least I managed to get myself tangled up with him. (Awww, is Valentine's Day really over?)

It was really cool and nice of him to do this, since he usually doesn't have a lot of time for sims, beyond making fun of them. That's one of the reasons that I'm even here. To avoid boring him to tears. :P (Though he is quite interested in the idea of sims story creation, and has been passing on books about film concepts to me, since he teaches animation.)

Who knows if I will be able to talk him into another one. We'll see. Maybe I will try my hand at one too, one of these days. Our style is different, to say the least.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

Aww I love the "at least I managed to get myself tangled up with him" bit. That is just so cute. :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, it's true. I haven't come across many other people who I relate to quite as well as him. I can be so romantic at times... *snicker*

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

LOL. I love Skeezy Ripp and the aforementioned Ren and Stimpy quality. His favourite show really comes out in his art. Johnny's hair is what gets me the most. HA LOOK AT IT

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Johnny has some BIG hair. I don't really trust anyone with that much volume in their hair. *snicker*

His style really does follow in the tradition of John K. (Ren and Stimpy) and his ilk. Very traditional American-style animation.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Johnny is basically perfect, aside from the neon green skin, but that's fun for a change too.

Ripp has some nice sleaze going there, for sure. :D

Ophelia is extra perky and animated here. It's the pose of the reference pic, I think, and the big smile she had. Quite cute.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

*snicker* Add me to the skeezy Rip fan club. This is kind of how I see him all the time! (and this version gives me a David Spade vibe, which just adds to the *shudder* factor)

Also love Ophelia and Johnny's hair. Johnny's actually looks nicer than the sim version (fluffy as opposed to scarey sharp).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Ripp will be devastated when I tell him that you've been picturing him uglier than he really is. *snicker* I expect no less from the madame of ugly. I can definitely see a gap between the way Ripp sees himself and the way others do, and this might even be closer to the truth. He's supposed to be a little skeezy. I imagine that this is definitely what Buzz saw when he looked at him.

David Spade. *snicker* Yeah, I can kinda see that. I get a sort of Stephen Tyler vibe from him too.

I really wish I could convince the SO to make some hair meshes for me, since he works in digital animation. I could get him to make some of the styles that we're missing (as opposed to the another super-long hair mesh with side swept bangs, or anime hair for guys *sigh*).

I really don't mind the spiky strands of Johnny's hair mesh, but there is a certain appeal to the fluffy version he has here.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHA My 3 year old came in while I was looking at this again and said, "Grinch, Mama! Look, Grinch! Wha' dat Grinch doin' up dar?" (giggle) Poor green Johnny... I bet he gets that all the time.

LOVE IT!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. That's awesome. It's the colour, for sure. I'll bet that Johnny really does get all kinds of crap like that from people.

[frozenland.livejournal.com]

^^ Hello. I've just begun reading your story and it's a really interesting read.

The artwork is fantastic and I think he really captured Ripp's personality perectly in it. And Johnny's nose looks exactly like what it looks like in the game.

Friending you, if that's ok.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks! That's nice to hear. Hello to you too. Nice to meet you.

He definitely hit on Ripp's personality there, and the nose really steals the show, doesn't it?

Go right ahead and friend me, that's no problem at all. :) I'd love you to follow the story.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

OMG this is so great!!! :D I especially love Johnny cause it just looks so much like him. :) I mean they all look like the characters but still. :P Very awesome, tell him well done! ;)

...is he willing to do any others? :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Johnny is definitely the winner. I wonder if he would appreciate it that everyone thinks that the drawing looks exactly like him? It's a little grotesque. *snicker*

He's fairly unwilling to do others, since he's busy with his own work (and drawing my sims is really, really indulging me), though I have had success with getting my own way in the past... *snort* I'll wait a while before asking again, but I could probably squeeze another out of him at some point.

[isleofthyme.livejournal.com]

Oh my! That is grand!

I, too, would like permission to recolor this and put it in my Isle of Thyme story. I would probably put it in my dorm somehere.

I would give full credit to you and your site.

Would that be alright?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The SO will be pleased to see that his creation is going to be working its way around the internet a little.

Go right ahead, and be sure to show me the results when you're finished. I'd love to see it in-game in your story. And, just to be sure... you do mean recolouring a painting to include the artwork, right? Please don't alter the drawing itself (though I'm sure that you didn't mean that).

I'm excited to see this getting filtered through so many different things, and ending up in other people's games, even. How awesome is that?

[isleofthyme.livejournal.com]

Hi!

Nope, I just wanted to make a painting of it in PhotoStudio, with full credit and not changing the artwork itself. :-)

Thanks for the A-Okay~

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Okay, Good. That is definitely what I thought you meant.

I'd love to see a shot of it in-game when you're done.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

I really, really love this ^_^

While I agree that your SO got Johnny spot-on, and that his take on Ripp's skeeziness is hilarious, what really strikes me is Ophelia. Her expression cracks me up. The huge cheekbones and squintly eyes... and her topknot hair. You're right, it's a very Ren and Stimpy sort of touch. And I love it.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

*grin* I thought you might.

Yeah, definitely. Ophelia is more subtle, so it really shows his own flair in the interpretation. (I think those are actually my chubby cheekbones - he draws me a lot and I have chipmunk cheeks.)

He's so unforgiving in his caricatures. It's hilarious. The ones that he does of himself are just brutal.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

Is the one in his icon on The Box Factory a self-caricature?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Why, yes. Yes, it is! *snort* It's a little extreme. He doesn't actually have ears that big.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

Heh. Good to know! Because I'd worry about him in a windstorm... :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, he IS pretty thin, so if it was a very severe windstorm, I'd still worry... *snicker*

My grandmother always used to tell me I should eat more when I was a child, or I would blow away in the wind, and one day it was so windy, I was afraid I really was going to blow away.)

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

I love this. Johnny and Ophelia stick out the most, but after a bit of closer viewing I decided I actually like Ripp the most. The reason? His facial expression is a picture perfect 'duuuuude. I'm so hiiiiiigh. Duuuuuude. The lighhhhht is harsssssh, man. Don't you, like, have dimmers?'

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

*snicker* Yeah, he could easily be high there, for sure.

[missgan.livejournal.com]

Awesome job!
Ripp looks the most similar to his sim version, I'm loving the hair!
Johnny's hair looks a lot better in the drawn version. And yes, that nose is looking good!
Ophelia's topknot is hilarious! She does look kinda spazzy, like a previous commenter said - I think it's cute though!

[a-gates.livejournal.com]

I think its romantic that your SO drew this for you, your hobby, and not being into it himself. *Just call me a big'ol mushy heart who likes happy endings.* Thanks go out to both of you for your wonderful hobbies. :)