Texas Longhorns Football Illustration c. 1990

This is a pen, ink, and watercolor drawing by Jack Davis of a Texas Longhorns football player. There’s orange everywhere with white detailing on the helmet, uniform and shoes. Can you see the energy? Davis has used lots of speedy lines to describe this bull-like football player who’s just bursting to dash forward! I can imagine Davis hunched over his drawing board, pushing and pulling the lines, maybe muttering to himself to get it just right. Look at the cartoon cross-hatching he’s using to render the muscles – you can almost feel the tension! I’m particularly drawn to the intense look in the player’s eyes and the way the perspective is slightly skewed, adding to the drama. He’s part of a long lineage of illustrators and cartoonists, all riffing off each other, pushing the boundaries of representation. For me, this piece shows how humor and a slightly off-kilter view can create something both engaging and thought-provoking.