I'm fascinated by the range of faces out there, and the boundless emotions & expressions that they're capable of. Several people have asked what I use for reference in my figure drawings. I use a variety of sources, the best/favorite being live models. But finding someone willing to pose isn't always the easiest. Plus it doesn't provide the candid expressions you can see when someone is unaware they're being observed. So more often I'm inspired by the fleeting glimpses of people throughout the day. There'll be an expression, feature or something distinctive about them that inspires a drawing. Sitting at a red light yesterday I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the face of the woman driving behind me, illuminated by strong sunlight. I quickly memorized the shape of her face, angles of her mouth, and when I got to the studio I drew as much of my "mental polaroid" as I could. Sometimes the likeness is close, sometimes not. But it's those transient moments where the subject is between thoughts, or detached from themselves for an instant that I love most. Hard to capture, but it's the real, natural exhibition of everyday life that makes a compelling image to me.
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