A portrait in pencil

A Friend

graphite in sketch book

Miki Willa

There was no studio time this morning, but I was able to grab some sketching time this afternoon. I rarely do portrait work, so this was quite a bit outside my comfort zone. This is a friend of mine who died quite suddenly a couple of weeks ago. I tried to capture the gleam in his eye and his warm inviting smile. I am not happy with the mouth, but it is better than it was. I think I should learn how to do portraits in the style of the Japanese artists of the Edo era (early 1600s to mid-1800). They weren't so fussy looking.

Speaking of Japanese artists, one of the best known from that era is Hokusai. This is just one of the many names he adopted during his long life and career. Take a look at his 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. They are quite wonderful. I will have more to say about the life of Hokusai and some of the artists he learned from as I learn more.