Seated Birdman Figure c. 1916 - 1918

Maximilien Luce made this drawing of a Seated Birdman Figure on paper with pen and brown ink, and some blue pencil. The ink lines are really confident and quick, creating a sense of immediacy, like Luce was trying to capture a fleeting thought or feeling. I love how the brown ink is used to define the contours of the figure, while the blue pencil adds depth and shadow, but also the feeling of it being unresolved, or in process. Look how the ink pools and bleeds in places, especially around the head of the birdman, giving it a sense of weight and presence. There's a tension between the solid, grounded form of the birdman and the loose, fluid lines that surround it. This drawing reminds me a little of Philip Guston's later works, where he embraced a more cartoonish style to explore complex emotions. Both artists seem to be interested in using simple, direct marks to convey something deeper, something that goes beyond the surface of the image.