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.
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