Javier’s Instagram and website are filled with black & white sumi ink illustrations painted with a thick brush. The bold strokes and deepness of the black makes the images feel as if the ink is still wet on the page. Many of his images have a dark, slightly sinister feel to them, but a series of portraits caught my eye. Javier has painted a series of women in loving detail while still maintaining his gestural, loose style. The series makes me wonder who these women are, and what part they played in Javier’s life.
I wish I knew more about the paper Javier is using for a few of these portraits. The use of materials readily available – whether adequate for the medium or not – is part of the charm of sketches like these: the drawings are beautifully crafted, and not only restricted to the best of materials. These particular images of women on scrap paper feel as though Javier just HAD to paint them, whether he was in class, a meeting, or anywhere – he had to put record this face.
