Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Cannes Natives

I've been working up drawings based on some of the characters I saw at the Cannes Film Festival.


6. 'The Wannabe'

This dame was dressed up to the nines hoping to be 'discovered' despite looking like an over the hill, transexual prostitute. Or perhaps 'she' was an over the hill, transexual prostitute?



5. 'The Mystic'

This fella was dressed like a Buddhist monk & hung around the Croisette sleeping rough at the foot of a palm tree. He was very tanned & very dirty. The first time I saw him he was carrying a stuffed panda & pontificating about Chinese politics.

4. 'The Usher'

Even the staff at the festival are movie fans. I drew this usher reading French Premiere as we waited in line for the Indiana Jones screening.



3. 'The Promo-Girl'

Dark Dog Energy Drink had hired a gaggle of promo-girls to totter around the Croisette in search of photo opportunities. They were soon mobbed by hordes of tourists & locals who swarmed around them to get a shot, like hyenas around a herd of gazelles!


2. 'The Geek'

Outside the Palais many people without a festival pass would wait with signs begging for a ticket for that nights premiere. This guy, obviously a fan of genre movies was looking for an invite for Indiana Jones.




1. 'The Bum'

Every morning I would find a parking spot at the far end of the Croisette near to Palm Beach. This old boy would be sitting close by in the same spot every day. He looked like the ghost of Orson Welles trapped in movie limbo. Somehow he had a different jacket & a different chair each time I saw him. He would hold court as other homeless, alcoholics & junkies gathered around him on the ground. He had swollen legs & red skin from sitting in the sun all day drinking.

18 comments:

Matthew Cruickshank said...

A glimpse of you in the future!

I used to be an artist (hic)

LotusEaters said...

i love your work. i chanced upon your blog and would really like to talk to you.

cheers
Girish

Anonymous said...

Hi Matt, what an amazing coincidence, I was on your tribute to Ronald Searle a couple days ago,and i was really surprised by the many faces of that artist I didn't know much... I didn't realise you were behind that project! ...it's a small art world, right.
Your productivity is amazing, it's really inspiring to see you sketching so much, and everywhere. Thanks!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

is that Elliot?

Tatevik Avakyan said...

Wow! Great characters!

JP said...

these are superb...more please!

limbolo said...

Mondo Jonez...
Better than ever. Can't wait to see your take on Annecy.

Dan Bob said...

great drawings.

Uli Meyer said...

love your new looser style a lot!

Chris Battle said...

Brilliant... every one of them.

edhead said...

I prefer the original looser sketches!

Heidi Smith said...

WOW!!! Really awesome characters!!

Unknown said...

Wow! Great characters!
Brilliant...

Kristian said...

the guy at the top is my fave. I really like the pose with the leg outstretched.
also, thankyou for showing how the character develops from the intial drawing. I think i may adopt this style also

MikeS said...

I really like the progression in the sketches of the usher from the 1st to the final.

Very nice explorations, Matt.

Gracia said...

:D :D hahaha!I love this drawings! "the mystic" and "the geek" are brilliant!! so funnny and so well done! congratulations, you did great versions of the weird characters you saw!Love the style.
Very inspiring festival, I guess :D

SteveLambe said...

Those are friggin fantastic, Matt. Loving the searle-ish flavor.

Tali said...

love these sketches!