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

I just reached a fun milestone -- completing my 100th novel cover illustration. Inspired by classic pulp covers , my approach to creating artwork for the world of gay fiction involves dreaming up delightfully dramatic scenarios to help bring the characters of each story to life -- and if they happen to lose their pants in the process, all the better! I've enjoyed working on every single illustration, and am incredibly grateful to Dreamspinner Press for the opportunity to work with so many fabulous authors. I look forward to creating many more covers in the years ahead. Here are a few of my favorites: And here's a slideshow of the whole kit and kaboodle. Enjoy! Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR .

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

Technorati recently ran an article about the exciting conclusion of my battle with Cai Jiang Xun, the Chinese artist selling knock-offs of my work on eBay. Check it out here .

(l to r) Taking Inventory by Thomas Acevedo, Sanctuary by Paul Richmond, Resistance is Futile! by Robert Sherer I will be part of an upcoming group exhibition at the Lyman-Eyer Gallery in Provincetown, their Labor Day Open House which runs from Friday, September 2 through Wednesday, September 14. The show will feature my newest work along with that of other gallery artists including Thomas Acevedo and Robert Sherer. Opening Reception is Friday September 2 at 7 pm. Visit the gallery's website for more details.

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 ...