Untitled (The Water Tower) c. 1939

George White Good made this drawing, Untitled (The Water Tower), using graphite on paper. The way the light and shadow are created through tiny marks, it almost feels like he’s building the image, one little bit at a time, which is a process I really relate to in my own work. There’s this density to the drawing. It’s not just about depicting a water tower, but about the texture of the world, the way light hits surfaces. Look at how he renders the sky, it’s this hazy, almost velvety texture achieved through countless tiny marks. And then compare that to the smooth, metallic surface of the water tower itself, where the graphite is more controlled and precise. I can see a bit of Charles Sheeler in Good’s work, especially in the way he finds beauty in industrial subjects. But Good’s touch is softer, more human maybe. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about what you see, but how you see it, and how you choose to translate that vision onto paper.