Mark Sterling

I am trained as an architect and consider myself to be a draughtsman rather than a painter. I work primarily in a mixture of graphite and watercolour or graphite alone. I am primarily interested in the topography of the human face as a subject for scrutiny. I generally explore this through portraits of people I love and admire. These range from family, friends and colleagues to Canadian and international figures whose work or achievements mean something to me. I am in the process of expanding beyond this more familiar territory to include my neighbours in Toronto’s Parkdale.

I work by spending a considerable time examining photographs of my subjects, which I make myself when possible. Initially, I prepare detailed drawings, which I consider to be maps – usually with a sharp 2H pencil. The preparatory drawing thus prepared then receives a number of watercolour washes with a wet-on-dry technique. I sometimes “freeze” this process at the black and white graphite stage, with the addition of some details in a softer pencil.

From time to time, I work in landscape and still life and for a certain period during the pandemic I painted only fish.

I am open to taking on commissioned portraits.

May work can be seen on Instagram: @acronym111.