Zelfportret en face, mei 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil on paper in May 1942. You can see how the artist built up the image slowly, using lots of little strokes to create darker areas and shadows. It's a process of layering, each mark informing the next. The material quality of the paper plays a big part here, too. The tooth of the page is visible through the pencil, giving the drawing a soft, almost fuzzy texture. Notice the way the light catches the planes of his face, especially around his cheekbones and brow. The artist has used delicate shading to give depth and form, which is especially noticeable in the way he's rendered his hair. See how the individual strands catch the light? It's so tender and yet precise. Thinking about other artists, it reminds me a little of the intimate portrait drawings of David Hockney, where the focus is less on likeness and more on capturing a sense of presence and being in the world.