Through The Iris III

Through The Iris III (BB Winslow)

Pencil on Arches Paper 18" x 36"

i know eyes? So far they still fascinate me especially at this scale, my earlier drawings where small at least comparatively to this one. There will be four in the series titled “Through the Iris” (my thanks to 10 years for their continued inspiration). Only three will be shown the first one sold-but three is a better number anyway.

I just love to draw them-they are us, each one of us-without giving credence to the whole face they become universal more than a personal portrait. Also drawing them lets me improve as an observer and draughtsman. My interest is the aging skin and the breadth of textures within the human face that gives a hint of a life lived. The clarity and makeup of the Iris and the multitude of hair on the human face is a fascinating subject, and I have at least one more in me, possibly more.

Two will be 18” x 18” this one is 18” x 36” which is very large. They will also answer a host of questions on drawing in this kind of scale for my plan is to draw a 72”x 72” face later on this year.

I used forty to sixty reference photos and a mirror to draw this image taking about 300 hours, although the time element is overrated, it takes what it takes. Thank you to Mr. B. B. Winslow for agreeing to let me age you a bit.
Here is a view of the size of this drawing with myself standing by the work, it is not in a show called “The Anatomy of an Idea: An Invitational Exhibition” at Midland Center for the Arts. I have seven works in the show with fifteen other great nationally known anatomically based artists
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Thanks for looking
Armin Mersmann