Artist delights pub goers with his caricatures

From Marilyn Monroe to Charlie Chaplin and Clint Eastwood, the caricatures showing more than a dozen celebrities with super-sized heads and tiny bodies are lining the walls of The Victoria pub in Walsall.

They have been drawn by self-taught artist Francis Williams, of Chuckery, who has been visiting the pub in Lower Rushall Street for more than 30 years.

And they have attracted a number of admirers who have commissioned him to draw relatives and even their beloved family pets.

In the comfort of his own home in Beacon Street, where he grew up, the father-of-two can spend up to 20 hours creating each intricate drawing.

The 52-year-old, who has worked as an upholsterer for 30 years and has helped craft scenery for theatre shows, discovered his artistic talent when he was just four or five years old.

He said: "I used to watch my brother drawing motorbikes.

"I liked drawing footballers, cricketers, Elvis and popstars, then it became caricatures and film stars.

"The first caricature I did was of Benny Hill in 1977 but I didn't really get into caricatures until about 18 years ago.

"I was down at The Victoria and thought it was a shame they had no pictures on the walls.

"I asked if they would like to see my pictures and they wanted my caricatures."

The 13 sketches hung on the walls of the pub, in themed sections, are available to buy as framed prints for £35 to £45, but Mr Williams said he had also been getting requests to draw personal caricatures for people to give away as presents or hang in their own homes.

The former Joseph Leckie pupil, who would draw portraits of his teachers and sketch alongside sixth formers at school, was also asked to create a bust of former Walsall Mayor Jim Leadbeater to welcome him into the role in the 1970s and was sent a letter of thanks from the Mayor's parlour.

He had been about eight-years-old and a pupil at Chuckery Infant and Junior School when a teacher first recognised his talent when he drew a picture of the lake and ducks at Walsall Arboretum.

However the first time he saw his artwork displayed in a public place was when he visited Amsterdam on holiday 20 years ago.

His gothic sketches caught the eye of a cafe owner who put them up around his shop.

For the past 25 years, he has also helped to make the background scenes for plays at The Grange Playhouse, in Broadway North, Walsall, for shows such as Happy Families and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Mr Williams, who has also sketched a caricature of his own three-year-old son, Bobby Williams, said the caricatures he draws usually take him between 15 and 20 hours and the last personal portrait he did for a friend took up to 30.

"I've sold a fair few prints so far, probably 10 to 15, after people have seen them at the pub," said Mr Williams, who also has a 23-year-old daughter called Sophie.

"I've also been commissioned around five times to do them for people.

"They wanted to give them away as a birthday present and one guy wanted one of his dogs.

"I've done them for friends of mine.

"I get pictures of their face and the rest is my own imagination.

"I draw things to match their personalities or mannerisms.

"I watch their gestures and I get a feel for somebody. I get my own vision of that person.

"I work from my living room, at a desk or in a chair.

"They can take 15 to 20 hours but the last drawing I did for a personal portrait for a friend took 25 to 30 hours."

He said he had drawn film stars, popstars or inspirational leaders and speakers who had helped to inspire him.

Mr Williams added: "I love the old films. Some of them are inspirational figures such as Mahatma Gandhi. There are people I admire like Charlie Chaplin.

"I've been a big fan of Elvis for many years and I love nature so some of my artworks have animals in them.

"I must have done around 40 to 45 caricatures in all over the years.

"You can present caricatures in the way you like. It has a big appeal to me and gave me something to focus on.

"You can bring out the best in a person that they wouldn't necessarily see in themselves."

Anyone interested in a framed print of Mr Williams' work, or those who would like to commission him to create a personal caricature, can call him on 07933 696501.