Drawings Drawings Everywhere

My latest undertaking is a project that would have me draw at least 5 new works a week, with a goal of one per day. I've always been intrigued by people that do this sort of thing, because it's quite a challenge. Drawing, even for people that are great at it and love it, is not always very easy and many times ends with crumpled paper or scribbled out images. So, I see this as both an opportunity for me to grow in my skill, try something new, and showcase my talent and vision.

The actual project will consist of portraits of people that have influenced or inspired me in some way. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people that my life has been shaped by, and most of them are not family members or friends (though, of course, some are). Some of these people have had more influence than others and some are just steps along my path to where I am today. They are writers, musicians, athletes, entertainers, characters, etc. I feel that a person's name or face are each representative of what that person stands for and has done in their lifetime, and therefore, a portrait wouldn't just be a representation of a person's physical make-up, but a representation of their life and efforts. For instance, my portrait of Tolstoy shouldn't just make the viewer think, "Oh, yeah. Tolstoy was a great writer." It should also make them think, "Anna Karenina was a great book. Konstantin Levin's wrestling between faith and materialism affected my soul." Or, "Tolstoy was a strange dude and contradicted himself in his thoughts and actions." The viewer can take away many things from a portrait and there is a good possibility that they will take away more things from a portrait of someone they recognize.

In any case, this is my labor of love. Here are my four first drawings.

-Tolstoy-

-Dostoevsky-

-Twain-

-Ron Swanson-