Sketchbook drawing

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a drawing from my sketchbook following our trip to Washington D.C. in late April, 2015. We went to the National Portrait Gallery where I was inspired by paintings of American figures and past presidents. To my eye, the paintings of the earlier presidents was not at the level of the paintings of later ones. A lot has changed since our forefathers were around. The painting techniques, media, scale of the picture, composition, and expectations, etc. have evolved tremendously. One thing which has not changed is that most artists favor putting the left eye in the center of the picture above the midpoint. I mentioned this in a prior post but feel it is worth re-emphasizing. In this case, I intuitively positioned the subject that same way!

When we were in Washington D.C., my wife and I visited Ford's Theater where President Abraham Lincoln was shot. We found the National Park Service Ranger to be well informed and knowledgeable. However, the above drawing is not of that particular Park Service employee.

On a subconscious level, this picture is a composite of the individuals who crossed the stage that fateful night when President Lincoln was shot. I had recently read the Lincoln manhunt book of the events following the assassination, so many of the events were fresh in my mind. The dimly lit theater with threadbare curtains and the shadowy president's box lent some influence. Other guests had declined President Lincoln's invitation to the theater enabling John Wilkes Booth to continue with his murder plot.

The facial expression in the drawing evolved from a gregarious personality to a more reflective, diminutive individual with increased age. He seems to project the mood of the country following that period in our country's history. More specifically, his eyes are not locked in on any specific point of reference as if he has been traumatized.

I sketched this picture late one evening while the television was on with my favorite drawing pencil, an HB Cretacolor.