Laura Delta

Laura, Delta
mechanical pencil
Summer 2004

Number 4 of a 4 piece set

Another older scan that I'm finally getting around to uploading. I originally started drawing Laura in 2001, and we sat down and took a couple of rolls of reference pictures in 2002. My first few pics of her never did her justice, but after doing the foursome of Catherine, I went back and used the same processes and techniques for Laura. The intent was to display all four of the images in a reduced, 4x6 format together in one frame/mat; the effect is pretty good, and the images work well together.


Now, the spiel; yes, I do do commissions on occasion. I usually work from a reference photo or photos, and for many subjects I'll simply spend an afternoon or two with them and the camera, getting images to work from. Laura, and to some extent Catherine too, however, were intimate friends; while I used the photo references for technical details, I knew them as well. There's always that spark, the way she smiles, how her hair falls when she casually tosses it over her shoulder. Little details like that are what really sell an image, and can only be learned through a long aquantaince. Hence, the camera remains a tool, but not a substitute for firsthand knowledge.