Elvis Presley, 1960
Anyone that knows me, knows I am a huge fan of Elvis Presley. I have been a fan all my life. I was born and raised in Memphis and Elvis was always present in one form or another. I’ve been drawing portraits of him since I was about 10 years old. Lately, I try to capture iconic looks or phases of his career.
This one is from a photo taken at Graceland just after returning home from the army in 1960. Physically, he looked his best, mentally, he was still grieving the loss of his mother. Coming home was a bittersweet moment.
For this portrait I used a monochromatic palate of watercolors. I found the various sizes of brush strokes helped to shape the contours of the face and allow me a little looseness in technique that pencils don’t afford. Elvis was happy to be home and looking forward to the next phase of his career.
