The Perfect Gift for a Hardcore Phillies Fan
Drawing caricatures at Philadelphia Phillies games is a great experience, but it wasn’t until this project that I was challenged to draw the actual players. This gift caricature commission for a girl who’s fanatical over the Phillies—especially Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Cliff Lee—was the perfect opportunity to expand on my Phillies caricature arsenal and sketch the most recognizable of all Philadelphia baseball stars.
Chase Utley was first.
I sketched lots of variations of Chase based on an idea that I could really exaggerate his jaw. This was a bad idea, as it made him look like a hulkish-brute—but you never know if it works until you try. Needless to say, once I abandoned the exaggerated chin idea I got a really good caricature of Chase Utley.
My first few sketches of Shane Victorino strangely ended up looking like Tiger Woods. But in the end, I got a likeness that really captured Victorino’s tendency to “ham up” the field when the camera’s are on him.
Cliff Lee is already a caricature with his squinty eyes and long face. The finished sketch you see here was captured on the first try within minutes.
The Finishing Touch
After I finished Utley, Victorino and Lee, it was time to sketch the hardcore Phillies fan Rachel. The concept behind this illustration was to show Rachel dreaming of the Phillies stars, and I really think the end result communicated that successfully. I am really happy with the end product and from what I hear, she was too!
Email Chris if you want one of these “Phillies Phantasy” caricatures for you. In the meantime, check out some great photos of Phillies fan caricatures at Citizens Bank Park.