Monsieur Guy Gadbois: Here’s Lurking At Yeu Keed

I was in the mood for a pencil portrait yesterday, so made a start on this one and managed to finish it today. The subject is Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau conducting covert investigations as Monsieur Guy Gadbois, God’s gift to women, in The Return Of The Pink Panther. Before you read any further, take a look at this clip. The painting is based on the opening still in that video and I’m laughing already. In the rest of the clip, Lady Litton is having trouble not laughing. And it’s not acting. Catherine Schnell quite understandably couldn’t keep a straight face in this scene and Blake Edwards decided to leave the giggles in the film. A genius decision.

I made the decision before starting that I’d be blending colours with blending medium rather than stumps, so pointed this on hot press watercolour paper rather than on my usual surface which I think is cold press watercolour paper.

Otherwise we’re talking bout my usual coloured pencil routine. Switching from shape to shape rather than finishing off one shape at a time. Starting with very softly applied layers and only increasing pressure in later layers when the tooth of the paper started to fill and some pressure was necessary. Adding the same colour to the face and hair whenever I added a layer of colour to the background. And finally stopping either when the tooth of the paper was full or when I thought the painting was as good as it was ever going to get. Today I stopped when I thought I’d maxed out the likeness.

After putting the pencils away, I blended the colours. I started with a blending pen on the face, hair and tie and then moved onto blending medium and a paintbrush for everything else. Of the two I preferred the blending medium and even applied some of this afterwards to the areas I’d used the pen on. And that was me done.

It’s close but I think this falls short of being in my top drawer. If this was a good painting, I’d have trouble not smirking when I look at it but that’s not the case, so what’s the problem? The likeness is very slightly off somewhere. The head is more in focus than the jacket, which is a little jarring. And his right arm doesn’t feel connected to his body (and, yes, I know the physical connection is hidden behind his shoulder). One thing I do like, though, is the complete lack of distinction between the background and the bar: the viewer has no idea whether M. Gadbois is at the bar or sitting at a table. Still, despite all my misgivings, this one’s up for sale with the price to be found here.