The Power of One: A Series of Single Line Portraits of History's Greatest Leaders

Executed in one continuous line, my latest gallery release features the portrait of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. as the very first in my series, The Power of One.

The last single line portrait I created was a decade ago in 2009, depicting the face of Christ as he looks to the Heavens in The Suffering Servant in a Single Stroke. Since its debut in my collection of work, this has been one of my most wildly successful and far-reaching artworks in my career. 

Using only one of my handmade calligraphy pens and an inkwell, I "wrote" MLK's portrait in ONE continuous line. The flexible pen point of the nib creates a natural pressure system which gives the line varying densities. Beginning at the very center of the nose, the line gets thick and thin to create shadow and highlight of the face, encircling itself again and again, then evens out to a perfect circle.

I chose this technique to relay the power that ONE person can have; that the peaceful actions and powerful words of ONE can create a ripple effect through time, echoing Truth for future generations. The lineage of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. is not forgotten as we celebrate a day in his honor each January. His peaceful action in the civil rights movement revolutionized his culture. We recount his dedication to correcting the injustices of his time and we look to him, a leader in history, as his work is just as relevant today.

The Power of One Series will feature the men and women that have changed the course of history for the betterment of our world. Stay tuned as I add to this series one portrait --one line-- at a time.

Click here to purchase your limited edition of The Dreamer: MLK | The Power of One

 

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