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| Owen / 18x24 / ebony pencil on cream paper |
After a lifetime of drawing and painting, I remain awed at the marks left behind as my pencil nervously moves over the smooth grained surface of the paper, connecting here and there, linking blank spaces, creating hard tension and soft grayness. The hand of the artist is so apparent but this is, in the end, a pictorial equivalent of the model. I have been thinking a lot lately about the model, about how much more he/she is than the curve of a nostril, the line of the mouth or the play of light across the skin surface. And so today, as I guided my lines, I tried to hold foremost in my mind the truth of this sitter, the unique aspects of his life and personality as shown in his face and posture, I desired to try and draw him with utter sincerity and respect for his uniqueness in the universe and without flattery.
Good morning Susan!
ReplyDeleteI am awed by your honesty and your wonderful art!
Bravo to you and your model!
Michael
As I feel fairly confident in being able to capture a likeness when I have a connection to the subject (an emotional connection, that is), I am looking for a way to lift myself to the next level of self expression. Perhaps concentration on the unique inner qualities of the subject as expressed by his demeanor rather than only the countenance is the key? In any case, I will continue to search and to try.
DeleteAnd you have done just that Susan! I am always in awe of your wonderful work :0)
ReplyDeleteYou are so kind, Sandra. I keep searching for ways to elevate myself to the next level, whether it be drawing or painting. I guess being a perpetual student and explorer is what it means to make art.
DeleteMooie schets hoor, Susan, ziet er heel natuurlijk uit.
ReplyDeletegroetjes,
Simonne
He was an interesting subject - very intense in his posture and his being but with such languid eyes.
DeleteHi susan.
ReplyDeleteAs usual my friend, a brilliant pencil portrait. I don`t think that I would be able to think of anything other than trying to draw the model. but well done for you to do that. all the best Susan.
Vic.
I am searching and searching for a way to elevate what I do - I fear falling into some kind of rut or reaching a state of status quo and that simply will not do. Now that I have been drawing routinely from life for some time, I need to reach further within myself.
DeleteFunny that when I started learning to draw, the main task was to forget person/subject in front of me, to see only lines, dots and values.
ReplyDeleteThis post is written so well, and it tells about the next level of drawing.
Yes, that is always the initial task - to capture likeness but surely there is more. In looking at Sargent's pencil and charcoal portraits, some of them are so startling, so compelling that you feel the power of the person rather than the power of the drawing. There is real magic in that.
DeleteI've never been able to separate the model from technique. I never even thought to do so........The look of the model has always ruled the nature of my marks......your use of contour really fascinates me. I get a sense of it in your paintings and your mastery of it really shows in your drawings. Food for thought here.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals in this art journey has always been to try to transcend both technique and the medium. By that I mean to have such an intuitive feel for them both, to be so confident in making the marks in pencil or in paint, that the mind can concentrate elsewhere during the process. That is what I strive for in all that I create and it is so difficult, so elusive. I realize that is only possible with extremely hard work and when one has miles and miles of canvas and paper behind them. It is a lofty goal I know but one I long to strive for.
DeleteBeautiful drawing, Susan!!! And your description of the truth of the model and its representation had me looking at him in a very different way. Thank you very much for that! I agree with Linda - definitely food for thought.
ReplyDeleteYes, these thoughts had me looking at him differently also - perhaps it will help me to go beyond where I am at this point. A new goal set and the journey continues in trying to reach it!
DeleteBeautiful drawing, Susan, and indeed food for thought.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Judy - as you can probably tell, I am rather intense in my approach!
DeleteA beautiful drawing and a very thought provoking post! an insightful way to approach drawing a portrait. i'm so invested in getting a likeness i overlook what's staring me right in the face!
ReplyDeletethank you Susan!
You are a wonderful artist and your paintings show incredible drawing skills as well as incredible painting skills. Thank you for your support, Suzanne.
DeleteI thought i had commented on this. my fav part is the truth of the eye in its socket. brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get away from the portrait resembling the model and more about what "I feel" about what I am observing. Very difficult for me.
Julie, I find your paintings - both oil and watercolor - to be stuffed with feeling! They consistently transcend the subject and project emotion, whether the subject is vegetables or market scenes. You are such a wonderful artist!
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