Sunday, November 15, 2009

Illustration Friday - Unbalanced


On Wednesday evening of last week, Mrs. Thea Gilberston from the town of Franklin was ajudged insane by Judge J.D. Perry and was taken to Mendota State Asylum on the Thursday afternoon train by Sherriff Buckley (Badger State Banner, April 13, 1893).

The above quote is from the wonderfully strange Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy, which chronicles crime and insanity in the 1890's in Wisconsin. I drew this portrait from imagination in pastel and charcoal on a watercolor-toned board and then adjusted in Photoshop Elements.

2 comments:

Coreopsis said...

What a beautiful beautiful portrait! Lovely colors and wild expression on her face.

Lisabella Russo said...

It's lovely! It's especially impressive considering that you did it without reference.