Another page filled in my China sketchbook. I calculate at the rate I'm going, it might be filled in about 10 years or so! I've posted it on my other blog as a work in progress if anyone is interested. But as I said there, I don't have what might be called a technique yet - I tried this just to see if it would work. The photo was taken with a zoom lens and the two faces looked closer together than they actually were. Perhaps I should have just done the man on the right, but I liked the teeth of the other man and how the lines of the back and shoulders almost mirrored each other. Still, you don't know till you try!
I read this, in an article by Hazal Soan the latest edition of Artist's & Illustrators magazine - "When you look at the world you do not notice every detail. You pick out that which interests you and catches your eye. A camera cannot be selective about what it sees but the artist can." It could be used by some to prove why you shouldn't draw from photos, but I think if an artist uses a camera, they are selecting the view anyway - like I did here, knowing I would draw from it later. There were a lot of other things going on in the photo but I selected these two faces and had I time to stop, look and draw I could have taken in a lot more details just like the camera- but I would have still made the same selection. I liked the thought of artists selection though and Soan says "It is this very selection of what really matters to you that makes a painting original".
10 comments:
Absolutely brilliant!
I really wish I could infuse such character into my drawings of people - I'm lucky if they turn out looking human! I really love the soft, almost pastel quality of your drawings.
I'm also interested to read your comments about drawing from photographs. I do this often, and I think with something as labour intensive as coloured pencils, it's often the only option. But these days I only draw from my own photos, not other peoples, for some of the reasons you have mentioned of being able to make my own artistic choices.
The hair alone makes this a stupendous drawing! But then we have the faces, too! You're amazing, Felicity.
Felicity, I tried to send you an email to thank you for nominating me for Katherine's award, but the address I used must be an old one, because the message was returned to me. Could you send me your current address?
Mille mercis!
This is a fabulous drawing! I think you really have the important details without putting too much distracting elemnets. Like you say, even when working from phots we canmake our selections as to what we want to include in a drawing.
Can you draw people that you don't like? I ask this because you are so successful at conveying the warm humanity of your subjects.
I think that a camera is a vital tool for reminding an artist of what it was that they saw in the first place. You are right in that it's the choice of the artist what to include. If someone works from a photograph not having seen the original, then that would be a much less satisfactory situation.
You really captured their personalities!! Fab.
I think it's a wonderful composition, and so good! You put so much life into them, one can almost see the man on the right starting to speak.
Thanks everyone, it's amazing to get such encouragment!
Olga, I'm glad you asked, I found it really interesting to ponder this. I suppose the answer is yes. There are few people I really dislike - Tom Jones and Richard Gere came to mind for their vanity!! - but thinking harder Robert Mugabe is the worst I could think of. But even then, there is something fascinating in his face to explore. I was reading an article, in the same magazine, in which the artist explains why he paints portraits and he said that if you put a figure in a landscape, that is what people will zone in on. There is something we can always connect with, something that holds our fascination even when we dislike the personality. I think the face holds the key to the person and what is underneath any facade or pretence. Even those we call evil, I don't think were born that way.
Your colour and pencil work leave me speechless...
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