The Red Line

Another in this experimental series. I usually start with pretty tight sketches. Here, I painted the whole thing at once, eyeballing, then went and did sketches just for the faces. I think it works?

 I've been wanting to experiment with portraits for awhile. An idea that came to mind was to keep the background and even figure as abstract as possible while doing a much more detailed version of the face. So I prepared by doing a gridded version of the face and then free handing the rest. It was actually pretty fun and while I don't think the exact likeness is there, it captures the young man I photographed on the subway pretty well. And this is how we look at things, isn't it? With the important things in sharper detail, the rest a sort of blur of colored shapes.

Self portrait made from a photo my sister took of me on the tube in London.

"The City Silent" page 272.

"The City Silent" page 271. Slow progress is still progress.

"The City Silent" page 270.

"The City Silent" page 269.

"The City Silent" page 268. Simple, but at least it's progress.

Another abstract self portrait, trying to be looser in my drawing and strokes.

"Cardullo's." Tried something different; minimalist landscape. I kept cutting and cutting the detail, trying to get to as little as possible while retaining identity. Sure helps that there's a sign.

Just some rando I saw on the subway, lit by the worst lighting, staring into nothing. I've been there many times myself. One of the three guys from the image I did last year, "Three Horsemen."

Another self portrait as I've been so short of time lately. Just need to make something if only one of these.

"The City Silent" page 267. Smatt spotlight.

Alex Horne. I've painted him before. He has a very interesting face.

"The City Silent" page 266. Whatever else, the little bastards are fun to draw.

"The City Silent" page 265. Two pages in one week. That's blindingly fast for me!

"The City Silent" page 264. Rooster, Smatt, Terry. They're all terrible. Just wait.