Creating Neo Deco - 07-07-25 (Assia)

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Portraiture

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Neo Deco – 07-07-25’ shows Ms Granatouroff’s portrait only. Well, a bit of her arm but I this time I wanted something different than a nude. Last drawing was fine and proved to be succesful though. However, when I am attracted to a model I want to show more aspects of her. Through this portrait I want to demonstrate how a portrait can be sensual too. The image was captured by photographer Ergy Landau by whom I was also inspired two drawings back. Obviously Assia’s hair claimed a prominent role this time as well and I felt I truely could add some value. It was only at the beginning of this drawing I saw I already drew her hair last year. Dora Maar’s interpretation converged into one of my own, becoming ‘Neo Deco – 08-10-14’. So now I finally know who this beautiful actually woman is.

Effortlessly

I was quite satisfied with last drawing, you know. Fabriano Ingres paper proved to be a true asset in my attempts to create ‘open forms’. Through the grainy structure of the paper I found the essentials of a good portrait. In my opinion it lies in spontaneity. Not taken up as a tool but as a result of great motivation. Becoming in love with a model does that. Hence, capturing her features became very easy, almost effortlessly. Almost as if I knew I didn’t have to elaborate her facial expression with many nifty graphite pencil tricks. Such times are the best. For this drawing I had this funny and most pleasing hunch too. Somehow I had a rudimentary feeling of a softly rendered face induced by aforementioned graininess. In contrast thereof the hair would be immensely styled with harsh lines. And so it happened!

Graphite pencil (Faber Castell, Pitt Graphite Matt, 14B) drawing on Fabriano Ingres paper (21 x 28.2 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers