Here is the final on my next offering, Robert E. Lee. This classic pose of General Lee has all of the things that I look for when I search for the perfect shot. It has fantastic detail, many, many textures and a look that just takes my breath away and hopefully yours too.

The stunning pose of this man was taken in 1865, Richmond a week after the general surrendered at Appomattox. It totally captures the Confederate commander's dignity and strength of character--traits that impressed the soldiers of both armies. "All appreciated the sadness that overwhelmed him," recalled Grant's aide, Horace Porter, "and he had the personal sympathy of everyone who beheld him."

The photographic reference was taken by the famous Civil War photographer, Matthew Brady. He is the same photographer who shot the fantastic reference that I used to draw General Custer.

I know that this is a new direction for me even though these next several portraits are not Western art but all are still in the same time frame of my historic collection.

I was approached by my art agent, Cheryl Gowdy about going into this direction when she approached a good friend who owns a gallery in Charleston, SC who in turn was blown away my other portraits. "Well when in Rome, do like the..." With the many times that Leigh and I have been there you can not help but notice that the city of Charleston "speaks" so much of the history of the Civil War. The whole Civil War aura is everywhere. So we thought that this was a good idea to switch gears and go down "another road." Though many of the Civil War heroes did end up in the West later on.

I stated on my last piece, "The Old Cheyenne" that I was using another surface to render on. I was not too sure at first when I started that piece if I liked the new surface, but I am totally sold on it now. It is "Claybord" by a company called Ampersand. I can't say enough about the results I am achieving! The live link to their site is below. I would check them out.

It is an 1/8" sheet of Masonite, 16" x 20" covered with a pure white, porcelain smooth surface that is a clay-coated, pH-neutral and acid free surface. What more could be better? I sharpen my pencils 1/10 the time as I do on my smooth, hot-press illustration boards. I pretty much did this whole piece with less than one 8B drawing pencil! Gotta love that.