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Why I enjoy creating art:

You have heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words and such is true. I believe that when drawing it is critical to get an emotion down. An artist cannot simply pick a subject matter and then regurgitate it back onto paper. It has to have some form of life. Emotions are what set us apart and make us unique. There is probably a face that just makes you laugh, a mother or father’s stare that made you behave, and a twinkle in someone’s eye that let you know to ask them on a date. In art, especially in portrait drawings, you have to capture an emotion.

The eyes – critical to get accurate

Many of the portraits that I draw focus primarily on the eyes. Sometimes I do not even bother with the full face but just use the eyes to identify the character. I find it rather remarkable that if I draw a certain celebrity’s eyes that others can identify that character immediately from my initial work in progress shots. Trying to capture a simple glance can tell a person so much. Whether the glance is relating to an emotion, telling a story, or making you think a certain thought, all these can be captured. The eyes tell a story, they give a message to those which look upon them. In my images I believe that any good portrait must start with the eyes. I try to relate that emotion whether that emotion is the desire and passion in a woman, the intense stare of 007, or the deadlocked analyzing eyes of a cheetah surveying its prey.

The pose/ positive and negative space in portrait art

Emotion plays hand in hand with the pose or “motion” of a picture.  My portraits try to relate a sense of emotion by capturing a realistic pose and by envisioning the  space surrounding the focus of the artwork. 

What I do not want to do is just recreate all the same poses which have already been drawn or get to photo realistic. I like to experiment with the overall pose and space of the portraits. True, I do draw some “traditional” poses to capture emotions (such as in family portraits or iconic celebrity portraits), but for the most part I do try to put my own spin on things.

The colour dictates the mood of the portrait

Since I started portrait drawing, I have evolved from just using pencil and paper to colour integrations. I have always loved using colours in my artwork but it was only recently that I fully embraced the possibilities and potentials that using various colours in my artwork could yield. 

Of course, I do understand that certain colours give off certain emotions and so I play to those colours as well. Again, the overall goal is to present you with a portrait that shows emotion.

What emotions do you want to capture?

Is there a moment in time that you would like to have captured? If you have a picture or a series of pictures and want to have a unique portrait rendered please let me know. I use pencil as well as other mediums (such as paint) to artistically capture emotions. All my work is available in signed prints. If you have any enquiries as to why I love to draw portraits, how I go about capturing the best process, colour choice, stories for my portraits, or if you just have a general question, please let me know in the box above.

Kindest Regards

Rob Thompson BA hons

rob.thompson.london@gmail.com