Thursday, August 13, 2009

A Subject to Talk About

Remarks about this picture:

By the Subject: [Groan.]

By the Subject's mom: "Well, there's a likeness sure, but he's much better looking than that. [Pause.] Don't tell anyone who it is."

By the Subject's aunt: "Don't you ever draw me, y'hear?"

I thought their comments were hilarious.

In truth, I think that the three of them would be much happier with the picture if it looked something like this:


And maybe they're right.





It's something to talk about anyway.


The pictures in this post were both drawn from life in a Moleskine with a Lamy Safari fountain pen using Noodlers ink, and colored with watercolors.
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14 comments:

  1. DeborahAugust 13, 2009 at 11:41 PM

    When I was in France with a group of artist I sat and posed for some of them. I never take it personally. It's hard for me to draw people so I just sit quietly and appreciate their efforts. I don't know "who" this is suppose to be but I like what I see. Good composition as well.

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  2. ShirleyAugust 14, 2009 at 7:26 AM

    I love it. You should tell him you were just using him as a model - not doing a portrait of him! I still draw anyone I know from the back, that way I stand a chance of capturing their body language, and the clothes make them know it is them.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 14, 2009 at 9:39 AM

    very good portrait! I have similar comments , so now I do more self portraits to practice...

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  4. vickylwAugust 14, 2009 at 9:43 AM

    I like this sketch! It shows real personality -- it does not have to look like the subject because as an artist, it is YOUR interpretation, NOT a photo!
    (I do some posing for a drawing class sometimes; the results never look like me but that isn't the point of the exercise.)

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  5. AnonymousAugust 14, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    i knew who it was right away. good job

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  6. UnknownAugust 14, 2009 at 11:08 AM

    Hah! That's hilarious and is also why most of my family runs from me! (not to mention that they're all afraid I'll post it on the internet!)

    My husband and I just returned from an impromptu vacation and this is the first site I checked for updates! This is great. Love your sense of humor!

    Now I need to go and do some updating myself. I have some catching up to do!

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  7. AlexAugust 14, 2009 at 11:25 AM

    Funny Dan! ^^ Yeah... I know that "don't ya ever draw me?" thing a lot... I ever got that from Tanna's aunts... why won't you draw Tanna. But I don't know why, I am just afraid that I'd mess her up in the sketch and that she'd want to hit me everytime she sees it :p
    Anyway, I'm flying back to Germany today, and I'll have a lot to do, especially preparations to come and stay here for good. That includes canceling my housing, utilities, talk to tax people, talk to my boss... etc Wish me luck! :)

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  8. Lynn Logan RoselliAugust 14, 2009 at 2:29 PM

    Great story. It reminds me of a time I was practicing faces on the subway. After about five minutes of doing faces with likeness. A women, who had a great personality asked if she could pose for me. Sure why not...bad mistake..I tensed up and drew the best that I could! Her response:
    " Why do I look like a man"

    ugh!

    Lynn
    www.lynnloganroselli.com
    www.flickr.com/photos/lynnloganroselli

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  9. SarahGauntAugust 14, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    Even if it's still not a correct representation of this guy it's still great. Love the one of the two women talking aswell it's brilliant.

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  10. nanke's stuffAugust 14, 2009 at 7:18 PM

    I think they are both wonderful. Hardly anyone ever really loves portraits done of them. We never see ourselves as others do. Don't listen to them! nancy

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  11. Dan KentAugust 15, 2009 at 1:02 PM

    Wow - I invite everyone to talk, and talk you did! Thank you so much all! I love your comments! Raena, I'm so complimented you checked my site first - this is why you count double among my followers! Lynn - I love your story, thanks! Sarah - thanks for being the first to notice drawing no. 2 - I worked hard on that one. Anon. - I know who you are - I think it looks like him too. Alex - good luck! Everyone else - thanks for the good advice! .. You all are beginning to feel like family.

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  12. JoyfulartistAugust 15, 2009 at 6:18 PM

    Awhile back I posted a portrait of Betty. Her daughter showed the post to her and she said, "Who's that?" When the daugther said, "It's you, Mom" She said, "It doesn't look anything like me." Others did think it looked just like her, though. So there you go. I wonder if Old Masters had the same problem?

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  13. caseytoussaintAugust 17, 2009 at 12:09 PM

    I really really like these. You're right, the context adds a lot of interest.

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  14. JoyfulartistAugust 17, 2009 at 9:55 PM

    Thanks for your comment on my recent post. I posted a response there.

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