Portrait Practice: Two Versions of Ira Glass and Two Quotes

Watercolor Portrait of Ira Glass (5" x 8")

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to This American Life while I was painting, so who better to paint than Ira Glass.  When dealing with my periodic frustrations about not making progress in art as fast as I want, I find Ira's words encouraging:  

          "It is only by going through a volume of work that...your work will be as good

     as your ambitions.  And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I've

     ever met.  It's gonna take a while.  It's normal to take a while.  You've just gotta

     fight your way through."

The painting above is a final watercolor version of Ira.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although sometimes when I look at it I'm not so sure it captures him.  I probably need to ask him to sit for me!  I began it by doing a pencil sketch first, shown below.  

Pencil Sketch of Ira Glass (5" x 8")

Earlier I did a quicker pen and ink only sketch of Ira in a different pose with a different expression.  I feel it captures some aspects of him but misses on others.  I do like the fact that when I draw with pen and ink without pencil I'm committed to whatever I put down on paper -- mistakes and all.  For both sketches I started by drawing his eyes and glasses, then did the nose and mouth, followed by the rest of his face.  

Pen and Ink Sketch of Ira Glass (5" x 8")

     More reflections from Ira:

          "I wish that someone had said to me that it is normal to feel lost for a little while."

***