I laugh a little and the sound surprises me, just kind of bubbles up before I realize it.
"I get better, looks like," I say, peering at the picture and smiling. The next page, the markings look a little darker, a little fresher. The pencil lead hasn't settled into the page the way it has in the other pictures, and anyway it's not finished. It's mostly done- it's a portrait, a sketch that doesn't have all the contrast filled in, the darker parts and the textures. It's more a line drawing with the beginnings of shading. The man is older, but not old. Maybe like how old I- apparently- am in the photos in the hall. A few years older than that but no more.
The picture sort of makes me sad. The man has a kind of dashing look to him, the way Bucky does, but it's more... worn. There's something in his eyes, which are probably the most finished part, his eyes and his mouth, that's sad, that's held back. Or, the more I look at it, I realize it's the opposite. It's like even though it's just shading on paper, just lines, you can see how tightly reigned in all his muscles are, how carefully controlled and it's his eyes and his mouth where something else comes through a little, something at ease and relaxed and young. But only just.
It's better than any of the other drawings in the book. Apparently, I really do get better.
no subject
"I get better, looks like," I say, peering at the picture and smiling. The next page, the markings look a little darker, a little fresher. The pencil lead hasn't settled into the page the way it has in the other pictures, and anyway it's not finished. It's mostly done- it's a portrait, a sketch that doesn't have all the contrast filled in, the darker parts and the textures. It's more a line drawing with the beginnings of shading. The man is older, but not old. Maybe like how old I- apparently- am in the photos in the hall. A few years older than that but no more.
The picture sort of makes me sad. The man has a kind of dashing look to him, the way Bucky does, but it's more... worn. There's something in his eyes, which are probably the most finished part, his eyes and his mouth, that's sad, that's held back. Or, the more I look at it, I realize it's the opposite. It's like even though it's just shading on paper, just lines, you can see how tightly reigned in all his muscles are, how carefully controlled and it's his eyes and his mouth where something else comes through a little, something at ease and relaxed and young. But only just.
It's better than any of the other drawings in the book. Apparently, I really do get better.