Pope Francis Drawing in Progress
Drawing Pope Francis in progress by Nick Santoleri
in various stages of the drawing’s progression.
Drawing Pope Francis:
Louise and Nick in Rome
About a year ago, I started reading various articles about Pope Francis, and the more I read, the more I liked him. He truly seemed to be humble and caring, a genuine “Pope of the People”.
Knowing that I would be in Rome this summer with Louise, I hoped that we would be able to attend a mass or other event celebrated by Pope Francis. Primarily, I wanted to hear his words and be in his presence as a source of inspiration for my daily life. But when the opportunity to attend the mass in St. Peter’s Square did present itself, I had my camera at the ready as well. I took a slew of pictures as he entered the square and as he addressed the crowd.
Back Home at the Studio:
When I arrived home, I started going through the thousands of pictures I took in Italy. We had visited the Amalfi coast, Positano, and Ravello. We had visited numerous art museums and churches, bursting with world renowned pieces of art. Yet it was the pictures of the Pope that most immediately inspired me. There was no doubt what my next drawing was going to be.
The composition for the drawing was drawn from elements in a number of photographs taken in Rome that day. There is some artistic license, as in the image of the Pieta in the background on the left hand side. This was not actually visible from my vantage point.
Another important element is the dove in the right hand corner. I needed something to balance the piece, and a dove, which represents both peace and the Holy Spirit, was in my mind as an option. However, the decision was made when, at a party, a friend had a tattoo of a dove on his arm. Using this as a model, I added the dove to the drawing.
Also See:
- Finished drawing of “Pope Francis”
- Open edition prints of “Pope Francis”
- Pope Francis Painting
- Other pencil drawings by Santoleri at www.PencilDrawing.com
Nicholas Santoleri ~ Artist Pine Ridge Productions, Inc.
1515 West Chester Pike Unit A-6, West Chester, PA 19382
In Historic Chester County, Pennsylvania
