Pencil Sketch, 7.25 x 11 inches. March, 2009. Reference Photo
This is one of my very first pencil sketches. And my number one favorite.
The reference photo is dated July of 2008 and includes myself and older brother Dave at the famous bull statue on Wall Street.
So what is it about this sketch that makes it my #1 favorite?
The summary is - when I look at this sketch, it causes an emotional response (in me). This is because I know the subject and have strong feelings about him. So when I look at the sketch, it gives me pleasure - in a subtle but strangely satisfying way.
It begins with a model with a distinctive look. As an artist, I'm not worried about trying to duplicate the photo. I know there are some artists out there capable of amazing things - but I am not one of them. And that is perfectly fine with me. My goal is to create an image that evokes the essence of the subject. If the viewer looks at the sketch and thinks about Dave the person, as opposed to the photo of Dave - I fell like I hit a home run as the artist. The fact that I am both the artist and then the viewer does not in any way detract from my enjoyment of the sketch - in fact it just makes it all the better.
I see a lot of symbolism and irony in this particular photo. I have some vague plans to use this same photo to produce a large scale oil painting - but that is off in the fuzzy future.
The key learning - good art is not the same thing as photography.