Chairman of the Board

Drawing by Carl, Drawing Academy student

I want thank the Drawing Academy and the other students. It inspires me to work harder and to try and get better all the time. I will admit it does get frustrating because my skill level limits what I see in my mind’s eye. I have been focusing on portraits of the human face because this seems to be the most difficult.

This entry was inspired by the recent HBO documentary on the life of Frank Sinatra. Whatever you may think of Frank, he certainly did it “his way.” This is a rough sketch that I want to transfer to become a watercolor painting or maybe oil. Frank has a unique face and I wanted to capture him older, maybe wiser. In life, Frank’s eyes tell a story and give him a powerful presence. I am not sure how well I have done. This is a tough subject to capture correctly and at my level of ability. But it sure was fun. Still not done with it. Will continue to perfect it before I turn it into paint.

Any comments or critiques would be welcome.

Feedback from Vladimir London and Natalie Richy
Drawing Academy Tutors

Hi Carl,

Thank you very much for your wonderful portrait of Frank Sinatra.

We really like it.

It is a very well-done portrait and an artwork in its own right even though it might be intended as preparatory drawing for a painting.

There are few things you may check:

Frank’s left shoulder might be located a bit too far.
His face seems to be on a separate misaligned plane to his head, as if it’s a mask that has been shifted to the side and down a bit.
You may also check the anatomy of the ear.

All these points are minor and do not affect the overall look of the drawing.

Once again, thank you for your artwork.

Kind regards,
Natalie Richy and Vladimir London
Drawing Academy tutors