I learned early that one cannot draw a slow line fast or a fast line slow. If I want a drawing to look dashed off swiftly, like “Ben” I must dash it off quickly. But not every speedy drawing comes out great, so I actually drew many drawings of Ben before I produced this last one. The dirty truth is that most of my portraits have many prep drawings before I produce the final work. A good portrait is at least two things: a good painting or drawing on its own and also a good likeness of the person. “Ben” has that unstudied appeal, with a sureness of line, combined with a variety of marks and textures that make it distinctive. But more importantly, this charcoal has Ben’s face of endearing innocence and charm.