Day 139

Every now and then, it's nice to jump around from material to material, process to process. One thing that I've discovered throughout this entire project is that there are certain materials that I really love to work with, and some "old classics" that I either do not like to use or that I get bored with easily. In that regard, I have personally discovered that pencil is one material that I prefer to use as a preliminary material before adding pen or ink or paint. And I have learned that I really enjoy using ink.

This is another one of those self-portraits that might not bear the most striking resemblance to me. However, it was made solely with ink and a brush, with no pre-drawing. I really love the immediacy of this process and how it's a direct, almost gestural image. The minimalist approach with very few lines is also rather new to me, as I used to believe that the best way to make a portrait was to portray each and every nuance of a person's face. Frankly, I would simply work a drawing to death!  It's pretty refreshing to create a quick depiction of someone with loose expressive lines. I think that tells a lot more of the story anyway.

#139 March 8, 2011,  Ink on brown paper bag