Monday, April 09, 2007

Norton Simon Museum


Drew this guy having a serious
conversation with an elderly companion.He's one of those hip aging dads of my generation. All he needed was a scooter.
It's always an exhilarating challenge to capture the moment in real time. The subject is always changing his or her expression and body language. Oh what to choose! It's like that scene in Amadeus where Mozart wishes he had two heads because all the wigs are pretty. Well I'm no Mozart but the joy of choosing among so many beautiful objects is always rekindled whenever I start sketching a scene thats thats unfolding right in front of me. Sketching people that know that they are being watched is the worst because they become self conscious and who can blame them. A person will strike three poses in a "normal" conversation. Leaning in, out or neutral. My subject came back to this head on the hand pose often so I gambled on it. I went for the face and the anguished brows and threw in his hands. I should have pushed the body angle ... I got his body during a neutral pose. So active head and neutral body. That'll be an easy fix in photoshop.hehe As I was drawing this guy I'm thinking what's his story. Judging by his body language my guesstimation is that his problems are so heavy he needs his hand and arm to prop his troubles up that and to display his grief and stress to his friend.
Well before I could get to his friend she stood up and left. Then this became a completely
different story. Oh I wish I had TWO heads!