Ancient Presence

Charcoal on paper · A2

Original available

This cropped side profile allowed me to immerse myself in the textural details I find so appealing in African elephants … the thick folds of skin along the trunk juxtaposed with the smooth solidity of the tusks.

My favourite area of the drawing is where the tusk and flesh meet. I loved exploring the contrast between those surfaces in charcoal, as well as the much quieter details: the eyelashes catching the light and the softness around the eye.

In this moment, he is not seeing, yet somehow seems all-knowing. There is a quietness and sense of age about him — ancient presence.