Portraiture can be found in the very beginnings of the history of art and has been popular ever since. Jim Ringley’s graphite drawings are impressive examples of this tradition. A lifelong artist, he is accomplished in a range of styles and his work has been exhibited in galleries and museums from New York to Tokyo. He takes many hours to complete these meticulous drawings by hand, building multiple layers of subtle shading and delicate lines using as many as a dozen different types of pencils.
The time spent is evident in the finished work. Ringley says, “To capture a subject’s personality and bring it to life on paper is wonderfully satisfying, but it’s just as important that the work be of lasting quality. When I’m making a portrait I consider future generations of the family, the children and grandchildren of the person I’m drawing. Someday the picture will be handed down to them and I want them to enjoy it just as much in a hundred years as now. For me, that is worth the extra effort.”
