Profile of a Black Woman is a series of Black and White pencil drawings that focuses on the beauty of Black Women. The first four pieces of art is of the actual series, while the others are included because of technique and meaning. A profile is usually a definition of something or someone. A profile view is a side view of a figure. Profile views, verses a frontal view of a figure tends to show more definition and tells more of a story.
Profile of a Black Woman II: Mable
Medium: Graphite on Illustration Board
Size: 20 x 30 Inches
Date: Fall 2004
Walking through the Hayden Hall (The Art Building) on Southern University's Campus I saw this tall and very beautiful sister with the smoothest dark skin and lovely dominant features. Her appearance just screamed, "Africa!!!" She let me take many photos of her and in my opinion, the photo I used for Profile II became the strongest piece of all four in the series.
Profile of a Black Woman III: Bathsheba
Medium: Graphite on Illustration Board
Size: 30 x 20 Inches
Date: Spring 2004
Bathsheba was a good friend of mine at the time. We were hanging out by Lake Kerning in the back of the Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union on Southern's campus and I (again with my camera-of-mass-destruction) took photos of her.
Profile of a Black Woman IV: Latoya
Medium: Graphite on Illustration Board
Size: 30 x 20 Inches
Date: Spring 2004
Another good friend of mine, Latoya was one of my best "models" at the time. Anytime I wanted to take a photo of her for reference she stopped what she was doing and just posed...and went back to what she was doing like it was normal.
From Shackles and Chains to Bracelets and Earrings
Medium: Graphite on Illustration Board
Size: 30 x 40 Inches
Date: Spring 2003
From Shackles... is one of my favorite art pieces and a drawing that brought me into the world of large art work. The model for this piece is a great close friend of mine named Dorrian. The concept of this piece was she show the progress of Black people in America.
Gye Nyame Queen: She Fears Nothing Except God
Medium: Charcoal Pencils on Illustration Board
Size: 20 x 30 Inches
Date: Fall 2004
My friend Bashira was wearing this necklace of this West African Adinkra symbol "Gye Nyame," which means, "I fear nothing except God." She was looking off in space, but very dignified and strong. I had to capture it.
I Drew From My Inspiration
Medium: Graphite on Illustration Board
Size: 20 x 30 Inches
Date: Fall 2005
Not a profile view, but a capture of strength and definition all in itself, this was the very first drawing of my wife Erica "Ayxa" who was just a girlfriend at the time. There would be many, many more drawings of her to come!
