The Drawing Saga Continues: First Self-Portrait

A self-portrait must be obligatory at some point in the Artistic Endeavor. I do not recall ever having completed one. Until now. So this is a first. The first shared anyway. The first that may have some likeness to the artist. Because I did seven other notebook sketches from various source photos resulting in relative failures and non-likenesses to get to this artifact. Again, some of them are laughable.

The source photo is from 2009. I won't share the photo at this time since there may be other representations I want to spin off from the source photo eventually. The journey and the challenge continues.

Original Drawing: Artist Likeness - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Continuing to Draw: First Likeness

My first objective in my Daily Drawing exercises has been to aim towards a "likeness". I fail frequently. Some of the efforts are laughable.

I surmise that one of the most difficult aspects of drawing or painting is to have the ability to "fashion a likeness" of an object, a place, or especially a person. A likeness would then represent a similarity, a familiarity, and the spirit and essence of the person, place, or thing. Out of the first 33 sketches in my notebook, only about 3-4 are rated by me as having a "likeness" to the model. I find it particularly difficult with respect to people and portraits. So further practice in observation and representation is required. In some cases, I am practicing the same model in the same pose and expression several times, evaluating each time what needs to be improved to move closer to a likeness.

The following representation is of my artist friend enjoying the lake in Maine. He's a real saint to mentor me in my artistic endeavor. I will never forget his example and his commitment to the creative pursuit. Saints are also forgiving and I need a lot of mercy in this journey.

Original Photo: Irish Saint - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Original Drawing: Irish Saint - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

It took me two different sketches to get it to a point where I thought it was a likeness. This is my first likeness. Thanks Bob. What character there is in this model!

Commencing to Draw: Maine Lobster

It seems to me that I have been drawing most of my life to represent ideas, designs, and to communicate but the emphasis has always been more on a practical planning and implementation of an engineering or building project not with an artistic imperative of an object with a view towards any permanence or retention of the artifact. Over the last few months I have been emphasizing artistic Daily Sketching in a drawing notebook. There is much room for improvement in many ways but I hope to build my skills by practice. Drawing notebooks may have many different purposes. They may be private or shared, places for notional ideas or intended as finished artwork in and of themselves. From my perspective, they are chronological journals of ideas, and a venue to build skill, ability, and expertise in observation and representation. If I see something that I like and want to record, I pull out the sketching tools.

One of the first drawings I am willing to share.....

Original Drawing: Summer Lobster - Copyright James E. Martin 2012