Portrait of A.K. Mineev 1923

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing of A.K. Mineev. The cool thing about drawing is that it’s all about process, the way one mark leads to another. I like how Kustodiev uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up the tones and textures in this portrait. You can almost feel the weight of Mineev’s arm resting on his lap, or the way the fabric of his shirt bunches up around his shoulders. The way the light catches the bridge of Mineev’s nose is really striking. It’s such a simple, elegant line, but it gives his face so much character. It reminds me of the drawings of Ingres, where every line is so precise and deliberate. Drawing is really about seeing, and about finding the beauty in the everyday.