Drawings from High School Years

The Boss, 11 x 14, graphite

I won't be able to post anything new for a few days and thought it might be fun to revisit "The Vault." The portraits of Bruce Springsteen and Jacques Cousteau were done when I was a sophomore. They are from an old sketchpad and were not part of any class assignment. I think I was just starting to get into Chuck Close's hyper realism. Be thankful I have spared you from my surrealist teen angst period.

Jacques Cousteau, 11 x 14, graphite

The drawing below was from my senior year. It's also from an old sketchpad and is from life. I was laying on the bed drawing my reflection in the mirror on the far side of the room. Since I'm somewhat near sighted I must have been squinting. A decent drawing.

Self Portrait at Seventeen, 5 x 5, graphite

This gives me the opportunity to briefly get on my soapbox. The biggest problem I see in workshops is poor drawing skills. People can't wait to squeeze out those piles of color and get loose while freely admitting they can't draw. But painting is drawing with a brush! You will never be happy with your work until you get some competency at drawing. I may have been born with a gift but I also spent hundreds of hours drawing with my brother while growing up and many more since. Drawing is an artist's foundation.