Drawings from the 1980s

Portrait. Drawing from the 1980s by Stefan Stenudd.

Portraits, Croquis and More, by Stefan Stenudd

Drawings with Charcoal and Pen

Here are some of the drawings I made in the 1980s. For earlier and later drawings, see the links further down.

Stefan Stenudd

Drawings from the 1980s

If there's a theme for my 1980s drawings, I would say it is beauty more than the burlesque. My art work was quite irregular during that decade, because I focused on writing.

When I was making drawings or occasional paintings, I tended to explore my perception of beauty. It was as kind of a therapy, solace in a world that badly needs it. I might have done the same with my novels. Maybe I still do.

Microphone

Drawing, 1980s
This is probably a sketch I did watching TV. Or just from memory. It amuses me. Objects, too, have a way of interfering with bodies and faces, as if being their equals. Actually, I am not sure of the difference between them.

Mixed face

Drawing, 1980s
Returning to exploring the landscapes of faces. This one, though, is not as much of a landscape as it is a kind of map.

Croquis figure

Drawing, 1980s
The body is a dynamic thing. There is movement and firm statement in any pose, urging to be revealed.

Adolescent

Drawing, 1980
Teenagers usually have very relaxed poses, as if about to fall asleep. As they get older, they tend to stiffen — or collapse all but completely.

Crouching

Drawing, 1980s
I have fun drawing with a pen, which doesn't allow for much of shadows. The silhouette is the thing.

Seated croquis

Drawing, 1980s
I enjoy making the lines of a drawing few, but still trying to transmit weight and volume, a three-dimensional effect. Here, it is particularly applied to the silhouette lines.

Croquis

Drawing, 1980s
This drawing is done with more lines, but not necessarily adding three-dimensionality. Maybe it's simply so that less is more.

Croquis smoker

Drawing, 1980s
This drawing has even more lines, but I sort of let them go crazy. It kind of takes away the three-dimensional effect, but in a fun way.

Sitting croquis

Drawing, 1980s
Back to fewer lines, but tending towards the geometry of both the body and the face.

Jolly boy

Drawing, 1980s
Here, I was playing with a cartoon style of drawing.

Torso

Drawing, 1980s
It's fascinating how much a body changes shape as it moves from one pose to another.

Half seated

Drawing, 1980s
This pose fills the rectangle of the paper. I tend to twist my motifs into doing that, especially in my paintings.

Head in hand

Drawing, 1980s
Back to portraits. I often add a hand, which somehow adds personality to the person portrayed. Hands are extremely talkative.

Profile

Drawing, 1980s
A portrait with the lines sort of going wild. Something I played with frequently in the 1980s. When the lines get numerous, they target in on what would be one optimal line.

Face with closed eyes

Drawing, 1980s
Another portrait with a kind of wild multitude of lines. It's a fun way of drawing, driven by impatience.

Dissolving face

Drawing, 1980s
This face is half-dissolving, as if the head is dipped in acid, or like someone slowly falling into sleep.

Flowers I

Ink drawing, late 1980s
This is in ink, a material exclusively devoted to the lines. They come out so strong, they could hurt you. One has to be wary when using it. With this and the next drawing, we not only go to ink but also towards the next decade. These two I made on the border to the 90s.

Flowers II

Ink drawing, late 1980s
I rarely draw or paint anything but people. These ink drawings — and those in the special ink work exhibition on this website — belong to the few exceptions. I have also tried some Japanese calligraphy with ink and brush.

Live Drawing

Video filmed drawing
This is more recent, from 2008. I draw a portrait with some complications. It's hard to decide when to stop. I did speed the film up a bit, not to burden the patience of the viewers too much.