More from Old Sketches

Depending on one's focus in art, sketching is fundamental. Sketching lets me study a human subject without fear--unlike an oil portrait where much depends on the outcome. Sketching helps me to see more completely and translate the seeing into a concrete image. Sketching is one of the ultimate practice methods for visual art. And as mentioned in a recent post, resurrecting one's old sketches can provide an impetus for new works.

Since I've been leafing through old sketchbooks, it seems worthwhile to post a few images I've found. The first is a sketch of Mary Beard, the well-known British historian. She's been on television quite a lot and has written several books about ancient Rome, one of my favorite eras of history. Here I drew her (as I often do) from an online still image. This is graphite on white paper about 5x7.  Ms. Beard is a great popularizer of history with a delightfully irreverent attitude.

Speaking of old Rome, this is a sketch done from a Roman portrait bust. There are many examples of Roman sculpture that are clearly an attempt to render the actual person. In the case of this drawing, I had several images of portrait busts available and thought it would be informative to draw one. Romans in the ancient world seem so much like us that inevitably one begins to think of them and their lives. Was this Roman elder a stern and unyielding fellow or was he simply posing? I think he was a hard man, a taskmaster and a dedicated attendee to the arena. But perhaps he was a stoic and philosophically sophisticated, abhorring the blood and sand of the Colosseum. Whatever he was like, his gaze is almost piercing. This is graphite on toned paper, about 8x10.

This is a study of Dwight Eisenhower, who was President of the United States during the 1950s. Mr. Eisenhower was a distinguished general during World War II, having led the Allied forces to victory in Europe. He was elected to the presidency in 1952. There are undeniable similarities between this sketch, done as a study for a possible group portrait of American leaders. Mr. Eisenhower was a man of towering achievement and integrity who deserves to be remembered forever. This is graphite on toned paper, about 6x6.

Finally, criminal faces are fascinating to study and draw. One always wonders what has been going on behind those eyes. I've done a number of paintings of criminals from mugshots found online. This particular face is a man named Purinton, who shot two Indian men in a bar in Kansas because he mistakenly thought they were muslims (they were Hindu). There is a kind of defiance and deadness in these eyes that I found compelling.