Paul Richmond Blog

You never know what might slip into view on a Provincetown beach! In my new Cheesecake Boy painting Beach Bum, Starring Alan Ilagan , the hunky subject bares more than he intended when his skimpy speedo gets yanked down, much to the delight of fellow beachgoers. With the sun's rays now shining upon his white rump, Alan strikes a pose reminiscent of another tan-line exposing icon from years past. The original painting and medium-sized prints are available through the Lyman-Eyer Gallery here . If you'd like a small print, visit my online store here . To see some process pics, including Alan's cheeky reference photo for the painting, check out these previous blog posts: Alan Ilagan Cheesecake Boy in Progress, Part 1 Alan Ilagan Cheesecake Boy in Progress, Part 2

Here's a sneak-peek at the entire Coppertone-inspired sketch for my new Cheesecake Boy painting, Beach Bum, Starring Alan Ilagan .

My new painting, Beach Bum, Starring Alan Ilagan , is progressing swimmingly, and I wanted to take a short break to share a little more of the concept. Previously, I posted a cropped version of the sketch focusing on the all-important " Pin-Up Face ." Today's post is all about "The Situation." No, I don't mean the guy from Jersey Shore . I'm referring to the circumstances leading to our pin-up boy's wardrobe malfunction. A glance through the archives of classic pin-up art shows us just how difficult it was for women to keep their clothes on. The streets are littered with obstacles when you're a Cheesecake model. Everything from stray nails... ...to mischievous darts...   ...to curious crustaceans could result in a hapless flash of one's unmentionables.   And let's not forget gravity!   The inspiration for the scenario in my new painting, however, comes from an even more unlikely (but every bit as legendary) source -- the Copperto...

As the intense heatwave continues outside, I am working diligently in my air-conditioned studio on a seasonally-appropriate new Cheesecake Boy painting -- Beach Bum, Starring Alan Ilagan . If you’re a fan of good old-fashioned seaside debauchery, you should enjoy this one! Aside from all the exposed flesh coming your way, one important element in a pin-up painting that never gets its due is the facial expression of the model. Granted, this might not always be what the viewer notices first. However, the “oopsie” face -- a titillating combination of surprise and embarrassment with just enough of an arched eyebrow to make you wonder how accidental the wardrobe malfunction really is — was a crucial part of the cheesecake aesthetic honed by painters like Gil Elvgren and Art Frahm. Here are some gloriously cheesy examples:     When I started the Cheesecake Boy series, I wanted to capture that same “OH-NO-my-undies-are-showing!” expression in male form. Thus, I spent many hours in ...