Study of Jerrell 2019

Lanise Howard drew this portrait of Jerrell, using what looks like graphite pencil to build up tone and texture. I can imagine Lanise, working on this face, feeling the pressure to get it 'right.' Portraiture is hard! It's like you're chasing after a ghost, trying to capture something that's always slipping away. The weight of representation feels so big, you know? It’s as if the act of drawing becomes a collaboration, a conversation between artist and sitter. Look at the way she's handled the light around the eyes and the soft beard. The soft marks suggest an embrace of imperfection. It's never really about likeness, is it? It's about feeling, intention, and the way we see each other. This drawing is an invitation into Lanise and Jerrell's world, a space of observation, reflection, and maybe even a little bit of magic.