Part of the Process

Here is a section of a drawing called The Mad Hatter that was done from a photograph. Part of the process is trying to figure out what about the image attracted me in the first place. I was most certainly attracted to the intensity of the image and I wished to carry that through in the drawing. I felt, on looking at the photo, that a lot of energy was centered around the mouth and that his mouth was stuffed with the emotion, so I wanted to something other than teeth. I left a suggestion of teeth and let most of the lines on the face radiate out from that direction. I liked the explosive feel of the image and tried to bring this out more fully in the hat. (see the entire image on my flicker web page (Garden Sculptor). http://www.flickr.com/photos/44267326@N00/3263798734/

I think most people underestimate the information that can be read from a drawing. It is usually the artists first blush with the subject matter, and the way the he uses the line can be a telltale sign of how he feels about it. It can also indicate how comfortable he is with his abilities. I see a lot of artists who cannot draw well enough to carry out their thoughts and feelings effectively, so it is a primary step that should not be given short shrift in ones artistic development. The act of drawing can be a very intimate encounter with ones feelings, failings or successes; so sometimes its avoided in the rush to get something on a canvas. The payoff, if you stick with it, is something that is extraordinary, and will color the way you interact with the world for the rest of your life.