One of the great impediments to my learning how to draw human face and form was shyness. I largely overcame that by first sketching my own children and then assigning myself a project to draw 100 live sittings. Some were very bad, some were very good. While my sketchwork did not seem to improve, I did learn valuable things about working with my subject. The experience in many cases was downright spiritual. It was glorious. It wasn’t every time, or even more than half but it was intense in the most wonderful way. At the conclusion of the sketch, the bubble popped and we went back to being strangers.
My son was about four and sat as still as he possibly could
My son stood for me at around age 4-6
Hannah was six and it’s one of the few times she would sit for a sketch.
Rachael, age eight live sitting.
Hannah was ten or eleven here
Brenda, two years. I had maximum two minutes to get this before she was done with it.
Laura was 18 and just about to get married. When the future betroved showed up I feared for her.
Rachael was still in the hospital and not a day old when I showed up with a newsprint pad and sharp pencils to sketch her in the bassinette
My brother was home on leave and dog tired. I grabbed paper and did one of my mostly drag the ink one way sketches
From time to time I would find a media photo and use it to work something out, in this case hair terminations inspired by Mucha.
My Niece Loretta. Around this time I was doing the 100 project, which was an assignment I made for myself to draw a hundred live sittings.
During the 100 project, I talked my father into sitting for me. It was the last live sketch I did of him
My little bro was not happy with this sketch, drawn before I realized that you never sketch someone who is sitting in a recliner or rocking chair. Makes them look heavy.
After retirement from the Air Force, my brother pushed the hair length standards and grew a beard. Around that time he sat for me.
During the 100 project I sketched McKenna, who sat deathly still even seeming to be afraid to breathe. A raccoon showed up outside so the session stopped. See the date and sequence numbers lower right. 76th of 100 drawn may 15
Deep into the 100 live portraits Mariana showed up looking for my daughter and ended up getting sketched. Her grandmother gave me advice for no extra charge
A stewardess came by with a friend. I’d never seen her before and never again. Committed batchelorette.
In college I tried my hand at sketching off the TV while Carter and Ford debated.
