One of the benefits of clownification is that it helps me chill out about trying to sketch attractive people. When I go to sketch someone who is actually good looking, I generally make myself miserable worrying that it will turn out grotesque, and thus guarantee it turns out absolutely grotesque. Meanwhile, if I go into a sketch knowing I’m just going to paint on grotesquery, it’s a lot easier to chill out about the base sketch, and end up with a suitable approximation of a normally attractive human.
My son liked the above clown because it was the clearest and most legible at a glance. I preferred this one, as it most competently combined the vibe of the reference photo and the Das Unheimliche of the clownification:
Meanwhile, my daughter requested I do a sketch of our dog Schnitzel:
I like that he brings a certain gravity to his role of clown and light-bringer to these benighted and uncertain times.