On drawing
Dan Fischer, The Guardian
September 2009
I work from photocopies. Over the years, I have accumulated hundreds of photocopies of artists and artworks; I have my own private Xerox archive. I can’t really say how one image jumps out and chooses me, or I it - it just happens. I can say that I only draw artists or artworks that have inspired or moved me.
Once I choose a copy to work with, I draw a 1/8” grid over the image, and then on a blank piece of paper draw the same sized grid. After that, it’s just a matter of transferring the image, concentrating on drawing one little box at a time. It’s a very simple but time-consuming process. I use a mechanical pencil with HB lead, and kneaded erasers to help model and build up gradations and tone. The photorealistic image reveals itself to me much like a printer prints an image. I’m just like the printer, making tiny abstractions that eventually add up to a realistic-looking image. […]