Before the Take II

This is my gift to myself.

Not this specific sketch, but all of them combined. Every day, I give myself the time and resources to interpret my deepest creative thoughts onto paper. I do this every day because that is when I’m truly at my best, when I am alive, when I am at peace.

This is also my gift to the world.

This specific sketch and everyone before it. I do it because I am able, by the grace of God. This vision I possess is a great gift given to me to borrow for a short time. I truly believe it is my calling and my purpose in life to share it with the world. I believe it is an obligation that all artists share.

In this sketch, I have discovered a new technique, blending highlight direction (I have GOT to come up with a better name for it). By accident, I forgot to blend the features at the bottom of the sketch. Instead, I get an entirely new type of texture to explore. Thank God for mistakes.

Happy almost-birthday, Jesus.