Portrait drawings
Art
Recently a friend asked to commission portraits of her sons. It’s not something I usually do but I made an exception because she’s been so kind and generous to me since I returned to Sydney to rebuild my life as an artist.
I asked to see photos that she or their dad had taken in which they ‘looked like themselves’. Family photos taken by loved ones reveal micro-expressions that aren’t seen in traditional portraits where the subject sits still. She airdropped a small selection and I chose the two that would best work as references for drawings.
In fine art, using photos as drawing references is often frowned upon as a modern shortcut that doesn’t capture the essence of life in the same way as drawings or paintings observing someone who is physically in front of the artist. However, as David Hockney explored in his comprehensive book and documentary Secret Knowledge, Rediscovering the lost techniques of the Old Masters, from the early 15th century many Western painters who are considered the greatest of their eras used projection tools such as camera lucida and camera obscura. Technology used in the latter evolved into the photographic camera. Personally, I think the sense of energy and life force in an artwork is imbued by the artist’s imagination, not technique.
Drawing in a classic way – which I haven’t done for years – gave me an opportunity to forget about originality and focus on line, the texture of soft chalk-pastel pencils and charcoal on paper, and conveying vitality without unnecessary markings.
When my friend suggested that I add these portrait drawings to works I create on commission – and share the drawings of her sons as an example – I was hesitant as my new work focusses on imagination and, increasingly, abstraction. However, on reflection, occasionally drawing tender and meaningful portraits is appealing.
As these portraits are based on photos, subjects can be located anywhere in the world, with reference photos sent via email. Completed drawings would be wrapped in archival tissue, flatpacked and delivered globally by courier.
Although the finished drawings are minimalist, most of the work is done during preparation. So the pricing will be somewhat (rather than broadly) accessible and, as with all my work, increase over time. I’m unsure if there would be a secondary market for these portraits but in this instance I don’t think it’s relevant as their primary value is emotional.