Obama (pencil portrait)

Sometimes, I do a sketch just to see if I can do it. When I started sketching portraits, I chose striking personalities or images, mainly of people I admired for some reason or another. Other choices might be of significant historical figures. I makes me feel connected to history in the making. The portrait I will not sketch is of someone whom I can never admire, for many reasons. I did this portrait of Barack Obama, the first African-American president, shortly after his election into office. It was an incredible moment, to see him elected. This does not mean I admire US politics at all, but because of the way it directly affects the rest of the world, I do follow it and have my opinions, which I will not share here. This portrait is now in a private collection.