Reference of a Man

What type of reference do I need for a subject? In a perfect world, I would have images of my subject all the way around them at the age I am going to sculpt them. That is only possible in a commission where the person is alive, and I have access to them. I would even take photographs from the top and the bottom. In many cases, such as Booker T Washington, I don't have access to them, and I have to count on what I can find, or what the family can send. I have a saying, "You can never have too many references."

Reference is so essential. In the past, sculptors would ask if they could do a plaster cast of their model. If the subject were recently deceased, they would try to do a plaster right after they died to preserve the likeness. The updated version of that would be a 3D scan. I have had my face 3D scanned quite often. The difficulty is that 3D scanners are expensive and not readily available. 

Here is a funny thing: I was not sure I was really an artist when I was younger. I could not draw from my head and needed a reference or something in front of me. 

My first commission as an artist was actually in kindergarten. My teacher saw some promise in me and asked me to do the Christmas hall bulletin board of Santa and his reindeer. I was excited she noticed,  but it brought me to tears, and finally, I admitted to the teacher that I didn't know how reindeer looked enough to draw them. She then said, Oh, I can help with that. I'll get you a picture. This really confused my kindergarten brain. If the teacher had photos of a reindeer, why did she need me?

I have since learned that not only do artists use references, but sometimes they trace things. When I grew up, there were no computers or the internet. Now it is very easy to find just about anything you want. But back then, artists saved pictures in a file cabinet. It was called their artist morgue. 

Today, I use Pinterest and put images up on google drive for myself and my interns to use. 

Well, it took a long time to get images from the family. I try to be a detective, and if the person is well-known, I can find what I need. Plus, seeing a person's images helps me capture more than a likeness. It is the essence of the spirit of the person that I am after. 

How excited I was to find a digital memorial that someone put up where family-added images. I got to see my subject in all stages of life. This gives me a bond with him. I hope the link is good throughout this commission. I love going there.