Untitled [young woman in profile, facing left] 1955 - 1967

This is a quick ink drawing of a woman in profile by Richard Diebenkorn. What I love about it is that it doesn’t fuss too much. It's like Diebenkorn was figuring out her face as he went along, not trying to be perfect, but kinda searching. I can just imagine him, maybe in a cafe, quickly sketching her out with confident, fluid lines. The ink kinda drips and pools in places, giving it a nice, uneven texture. There is a freedom in the marks that I think Diebenkorn later brings to his abstract paintings. This kind of drawing reminds me of Guston, too, where the line has a searching, tender quality. These guys were pals, so I'm sure they spurred each other on.