In 1998 I took a trip to New York to visit my sister. I went into Manhattan a few times via the Long Island Railroad to visit museums. I drew along the way. Looking back I saw 3 different types of portraits I was creating. I still do the same three types.
Woman on the Long Island Railroad at Christmas
A portrait of what I see: She was looking out the train window pensively. We stopped and there was an outdoor Christmas Tree with a star on top in front of a house right next to the tracks. She never changed her expression. I took note, quickly adding it to the scene before we moved on.
Woman Peering Through Her Only Portal
A portrait with what I imagine: She was also on the Long Island Railroad, this time on my way back to my sister’s house on Long Island. I didn’t get into the drawing long enough to draw a background so instead I started imagining how the light fell on her face and where it could have come from. I imagined a knot hole in a wall and went with that idea.
Woman With Articulation Of What Once Was
A portrait from all imagination: Maybe I saw someone’s eyes, lips or nose in passing and had that in my head, but basically I made the whole portrait up. It’s a caricature of a type that I see once in a while, oversize and undersized everything, dramatic in how extreme the features go together.
Drawings © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com