Carol Burnett is my favorite comedienne. She makes me laugh unlike any other woman in comedy. She has always made me laugh hard—even as a child when I didn’t fully understand the joke. I loved her laugh and playfulness instantly. I was lucky enough to catch her specials as a kid with my family, and I’d religiously watch reruns every day after school. And I know I’ve lost hours on YouTube going through clips of her and Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. I just think she’s the best.
Everyone always lists Lucille Ball as their favorite, and I can certainly see why. Tina Fey, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Madeline Kahn, Catherine O-Hara, Betty White, Andrea Martin…They all make my favorite laugh list same as anyone else’s. But for me, Carol Burnett cannot be beat. And that’s why I had to include her in my set of new abstract caricatures.
I looked up a few photos of her on the Internet to get down the look. The struggle is that there are so many characters that she’s played, it’s not really her “face.” Then there’s the posed photos, which again isn’t really her “face.” When I think of Carol Burnett, I think of that FACE, ya know?!? That big laugh, charming cheeks, dazzling eyes, and unmatched mix of class, beauty, and funny-to-the-bone essence.
So I finally found a couple photos that I could sort of make a composite of to catch the profile/angle that I was hoping for, and that smile/laugh combo that I had in my mind. I typically start these types of drawings with the nose to be the centerpiece and then I get the proportions and everything else to follow. But with Carol Queen of Comedy, I started with that smile. I did the sweeping lines of the bottom lip and then added the chin, nose, and—before you know it—I was done.
It took a couple of attempts, but I actually rolled this out pretty fast and fluidly. The bright colors were inspired from her 70s shows and her bright hair. I touched up things like making her tongue a heart-shaped Easter egg there. I put a bigger heart right at the center. The hair was a particular tedious but well-worth-it chore because it really adds a needed depth and illumination for her. And the signature tug of her ear (as she always ended her show).
You’ll see HA HA HA typography filling the background of the portrait to serve as a pattern of who she is, what she does, and how consistent and reliable she is and has been since forever. As another typography touch, I worked her name in around in geometric style.
I think the thick black lines compliment this one as good as any other portrait in the set. The play off of the bright color scheme gives a much needed contrast. I put circles all around because I like the softness of it. She’s not a hard-edged comedienne. Sharp, harsh, angles and corners would be too hard for her; the rounded arcs and varying sizes of circles add a bubbly, soft aspect to her, which I thought fit her personality and her innocent, pure hilarity. As pleased as I am with how the smile/laugh turned out, it’s the eye. That bright color, shape, and contrast of the eye adds a little purity and excitement to the portrait. It’s a little childlike and charming, which pretty much hits on the personality I like so much in her.
I have other portraits in progress in this same vein. It’s a fun practice that I hope gets easier and sharper for me, but I’m grateful for this one coming together so joyfully.
larue art + copy 