The following is a sampling of sketchbook drawings from the last three years. These reportage drawings reflect my core belief that on location drawing is the most exciting and revealing exercise an artist can pursue.
Drawing is considerably more offensive than photography. While it is certainly possible to take a picture with the intention of portraying your subject in a less than flattering light, drawing is almost always perceived as some kind of editorial activity. You are drawing someone because you find something in them that warrants a drawn comment. This is rarely a good thing for the subject. Lord knows I go for the ugliest, slovenly, withered, hateful characters that embody a snapshot, if only symbolic, of the American lifestyle and the American character. My editorial touch is in taking their body proportions, their sunken eyes, their bright clothes and twisting them into a variety of what I like to call “American monsters.” I am not saying I am never sympathetic, but it is the horror that many of my subjects feel when they realize that I have chosen them to draw, that is an entirely justified and understandable reaction. When I am pushing and pulling their noses or enlarging their big American style guts, I am thinking to myself sorry buddy or sorry Ma’am, but I totally mean to offend you. I am completely appalled by you and sadly, I enjoy this terrible exercise in bringing out your worst side. Without the shroud of words, even harsh words, a drawing is the most direct personal attack that I believe we humans have. Like the kid in his middle school class drawing his teacher with a thick wart addled nose, and wild electric hair, drawing is at once engaging and provocative and, inexcusably cruel and petty. I am still the boy doodling in class but my tools have gotten more sophisticated and my teachers are more horrific than I could have ever imagined in my 7th grade math class.
If you want to share any ideas about the sketchbook work or any of my other illustrations please email me at lou@louisnetter.com.
New York and
East Coast
California
England and
Ireland
Drawn Rants and
Random Ideas
New Stuff!
Vancouver, BC
New Stuff!
