Janis.
Graphite on Paper.
February 21, 2013.

I have been holding off on posting this quick-sketch for some time…

One night, more than a month ago, I was looking for a subject to sketch, browsing the internet for someone with an interesting story and an interesting face. It was one of those times, slightly without inspiration, aimlessly and mindlessly looking for a subject and getting lost in the vast pit of information that is the inter-web.

I came across a series of photographs of Janis Joplin — photographs where her personality radiated beyond the limits of the captured image — and was struck with motivation.

Janis is a character; she is an intriguing, light personality. I began sketching an image with no real direction other than to capture her personality in quick-sketch. The result of my process is a caricature of sorts; not exactly the result I was hoping for, however, I think it works.

Like I said, I have been holding off on posting this sketch for a while: I’ve been hoping to add some color, I think it would help the image. And, of course, Janis deserves some color.

I’ll consider re-working the image, and get back to you all.