/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

JT scrunches his lower lip up in disapproval, stretches out an upturned palm, and sweeps it along a semicircle to indicate the other 3 portrait guys in sight.

"Now these fucking [ethnic group] come in. They are SHIT. They do not know how to draw! Not like you and me! they are businessmen! They lie!"

JT is pretty upset/angry as he says this, but he softens when he comes back to me and him and art.

"When you draw someone, you love them, no? you look at them, and you must love everyone." I can tell he doesn't mean love, but is using the term to indicate a genuine and deep appreciation for a person. When you look at someone, what does their likeness tell you about them? Where do you imagine they've been? Where might they be going? Are they wearing lots of makeup? Do they have scars? Are they bald from stress? Tired from a life of work? do they have the confident gaze of success or eyes that dart around with nervousness? Etc, etc.

His attention comes back to my drawings, specifically the one of Lincoln. "You are very good! I mean, you are shit (friendly) you know? Of course you are shit, you are young! but you are also very good! You are not as good as me, I am great artist, like Holbein! But one day you will be very good too! Where do you get (make) this drawing?"

"I noticed the signs all the other guys had feature "Wow!" pieces, so I went to the brooklyn museum to look at a statue and make some of my own. I didn't spend too much time, just enough to make it decent"

He goes into another angry rant about the other guys undercutting him. "But next summer, I come back! I can do what they can't! I will bring COLORS!"