Figure Head Sketches From TV

"Jim Sciutto of CNN" thumbnail sketch

 Yesterday was Mother's Day. My kids never come home for this occasion because they come up for the longer Memorial Day weekend which is later in the month. That's fine with me. The weather is still iffy on Mother's Day and not much to do anyway. 

So, my husband took me out for a lovely brunch at The Blue Pelican Inn in Central Lake. We had a lovely meal and afterwards took the long way home just to get in a little drive, even though it was cloudy and sprinkling. 

When we got home, my husband busied himself with mowing the lawn for the first time and cleaning up tree debris from where we had two big beech trees cut down a week ago. Since it was MY day, I did whatever I felt like doing; I watched my Sunday morning shows on CNN and did a little sketching. The first sketch is of Jim Sciutto hosting "State Of The Union". Since I had recorded this show, I paused it at an appropriate pose moment and finished the sketch which I had already started "live" from the TV. 

In another segment, he was talking to a White House advisor, and I sketched this fellow, too. Didn't pause the video for this one; just went for the gesture drawing. 

"White House Advisor" thumbnail sketch

 This was a good exercise in observation and drawing quickly while the subject is moving around. I used a mechanical pencil for these sketches which are only about 2x2 inches so they are very rough. 

I confess that I don't often draw people, and considering that, I am quite pleased with how these two little sketches turned out. I think I was able to capture the unique features of each man to the point that they could be identified by those who know them. I was able to capture the more chiseled features of Jim compared to the softer more rounded features of the advisor. They are not finished portrait quality by any means, but they work for what they are; thumbnail sketches of two different men.