Drawing A Portrait [7]

Hello everyone

Today I will present the portrait of one of the first Black slaves to have survived slavery and managed to escape it.

He was born in 1745 in West Africa, in the former Kingdom of Benin in southeastern Nigeria, and died in the Westminster district of London. This is actually a portrait of Olaudah Equiano, better known as Gustave Vassa.

I created this portrait in 2023 as an exercise. Below, you will find a more detailed explanation and the different stages of its creation.

This is a graphite pencil portrait on A2-sized Bristol paper depicting an 18th-century man. It is a bust portrait (head and shoulders).

The man is shown in three-quarter view, looking slightly to the right. He is wearing a powdered wig typical of the era of the buttoned coat. The smile is subtle and slightly mischievous, with a lively gaze.

The face is well-proportioned and perfectly captures the spirit of youth, vivacity, and intelligence.

The slight smile brings the portrait to life.
Thank you for this brief read while observing the different stages of the portrait's creation. Have a pleasant day.