On Portraits

Drawing portraits can be sooo much fun…it’s like taking a public persona and imagining what this person would be like, how their personality would reflect in their visage. By the time I finish, I feel as though I “know” the person I’ve drawn (even though this is entirely untrue), as if I’ve been able to read their features and really see the character behind the mask. And no two ways about it – you either capture the likeness perfectly or you miss the mark. As humans, instinctually we read each other’s faces for the slightest nuance, the subtlest change in features. So I find it requires complete focus and excellent drawing skills. Note: I ‘m not saying photo-realism is necessarily the best way to “capture” a likeness at all. (I’ve seen artists I know capture a likeness with a line drawing, or a cartoon. *wish I could do that!*) Since I fail miserably at the line-drawing, I go right for the whole rendering. Guess I can’t help myself.

BTW: Just watched a great video from [link] on "Schools Killing Creativity" here's the link: [link]