Inked/The Man - Original

"Inked/The Man" was an experimental piece for me - I don't normally lean far from drawing women, but I figured, heck! Why not give it a try?!
 
When I thought about why I choose to draw women versus men, I realized 3 reasons: it was because I saw more explorative, creative potential with women; I have a bias towards drawing women because I am one; I enjoy drawing softer, curvier features. In my reflection, also realized something about my portraits all-together: I love to use a lot of COLOR. This led me to the idea of "Inked/The Man." 
 
What if my man didn't have clothes on like all my female portraits? What if I went ALL-OUT, making the most macho and manly of men captured on paper? What would that man look like? How would he stand? Certainly, he'd have to have confidence and the best beard ever...this seemed like an intriguing challenge for me!
 
With all these thoughts in mind, I begun to plan the drawing. The man would have light skin, blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes, common features of the warrior Vikings. I would then take advantage of his pale skin and cover this shirtless, muscular man with the most COLORFUL tattoos; ranging in a variety of subjects from a tiger roaring across his stomach to winged birds across his chest. The man also has an admirer on his left bicep - a woman adorning a tropical flower crown - looking right up at his face! 
 
Overall, "Inked/The Man" is a very colorful, detailed representation of traditional masculinity through the eyes of an artist who usually draws women. Additionally, after completing this drawing, I have come to appreciate the beauty of not only men, but also tattoo artists whose work is constantly on display through the human body. 
 
"Inked/The Man" was drawn with colored pencils on 187 lb. Canson Red Colorline paper, completed in April 2018.