Creating Louise Brooks – 02-09-25

Website link: https://corneakkers.com/louise-brooks-02-09-25/
Print: https://corneakkers.com/print-louise-brooks-02-09-25/
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A Mixture of Styles

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Louise Brooks – 02-09-25’ is a mixture of surrealism, cubist styling and art deco. Louise, two cats and an elephant combined. And why not? Even though I don’t think of her daily once in a while she re-enters my mind. The first time I drew her was back in 2014. The next to last was almost a year ago. Now I have put one Assia drawing into oil I feel I have to move on and do new projects. What else could be conducive to walking to new artistic horizons than being led by Ms. Brooks, wouldn’t you think?

Some Mysterious Wanting

Lately I feel my cubist style is turning into a new direction. A bit more realistic and I have written about this already some time ago. Somehow I see my eyes are drawn to combining power lines with smooth tonal gradients. Aforementioned oil and my last drawing ‘Neo Deco – 19-08-25’ are proof of that, I’d say. To where this all will lead I surely don’t know. Maybe there will be some major mishaps coming my way but we cross that bridge when we come to it. Anway, some mysterious wanting has taken hold of me. One that pushes me to investigate a certain kind of contrast. That’s between powerful linear structures and weaker but quantitatively bigger and softer planes.

Two Cats and an Elephant

As to this drawing, I found some great and charming contour delineations, especially in and around her arms. I decided to enforce them and have them stand on their own from a tonal point of view. Next to this, I threw in two cats and an elephant. No idea if she liked cats and I don’t mind. They are as egnimatic as Louise herself.

Graphite pencil drawing on Talens Bristol paper (21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm - A4 format)
Artist: Corné Akkers