Self Portrait

[Paul Foxton]

Originally Posted by Sharon

all too often artists weigh down their art with pretentious meaning before they have achieved mastery, hoping to disguise their shortcomings with cleverness.

Ah, now THAT I agree with. I think the rarest commodity in the art world today, in general, is honesty.

Mischa, you can find Sharon's work here: http://www.portraitartist.com/knettell/knettell.htm

Originally Posted by Mischa

if you continue and not stop, you are going places

Thanks very much Mischa. I fully intend to do both.

[Lon Haverly]

Boy, that is commitment! I am far too impatient to take that much time on a drawing. You did a nice job. Did you enjoy it? I would have quit or tired of it before putting that much time on it.

Part of the pleasure of drawing for me is that I can get it done in a shorter period of time. However, I rarely take that long on even an oil painting. Perhaps I would be a better artist if I was more patient. Perhaps that is what makes an artist unique - his level of patience. Sometimes the longer time spent on a drawing is worth it, and sometimes it isn't. And part of good charcoal drawing, or any drawing for that matter, is knowing when it is done - knowing when to quit.

There is a drawing on this forum that took three years! So this is a quickie by his standards.

[Lon Haverly]

I like your style, Paul. I like a drawing that looked easy and relaxed. I like the mix of line and mass, and the clear breaks between light and shadow.

Good work.