This was taken from a photograph during WWII of a Canadian Sniper. I don't see too many photos that just grab my attention. I see a lot of beautiful photographs from nature to portraits, but not too many that just grab me. I did some research on the photograph, but I couldn't find any. There was something so intense about it that I felt I had to capture it. For about a month I worked on this, clocking 80 hours or more. Sometimes I'd work for a few minutes, other times, hours into the night. I don't know if this sniper has killed anyone or if he's getting ready to take the shot - who knows, maybe he's sighting his next target. Whatever is going on however, he's focused on the target.
I think that grabbed me the most about this photo was this sniper's story. We all have a story to tell - he's no different. He has a family somewhere that's waiting on him, missing him, and wondering if he'll ever come home. Night after night he sleeps in an area of the world that's unknown to him. Who knows what horrors of war he has faced already - or the ones that are to come?
The drawing is 18x24, charcoal, vine charcoal, and conte. Please email if you're interested.
