Oscar Project



I've decided that I need a new, enormous, long term personal project. I really liked my presidents, so I figured I'd do a new collection of black and white portraits. The trick with this kind of thing, though, is that I need decent reference, and it has to be relatively easily accessible. Also, I'd like it to be somewhere within my realm of interest. So as it happens, I love watching movies, and I really, really love watching the Oscars -- I know it's completely ridiculous, but it's so much fun! I can't help myself every year!

So, my new project is to draw every single Best Actor winner since the beginning. If it goes well, it will be followed by every single best Actress winner since the beginning. Since the oscars are in their 84 year this year, that's.... a lot of drawings. But if I finish at least one a week, I should finish sometime next year! Like the presidents project, it will be a great way for me to keep my drawing fresh, and I'll have a nifty little thing in the end. With the presidents, I knew what they all looked like, so I think it was easier. With many of the first actors, I am not going to be familiar with their looks in advance, making for a really fun challenge.

I'm going to try to draw each actor in costume for the film in which they won. First up: Emil Jannings, for "The Last Command" (In 1927).

3 comments:

  1. This is a fantastic idea! That's going to be a very impressive collection of work once you are finished!

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  2. Not to alarm you, Mr. Schwartz, but you may be perpetuating a grave injustice. According to Susan Orlean via Wikipedia and Slate, Emil Jannings was NOT the first Oscar Winner, it was the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin. Naturally the Academy had image-concerns about giving its first award to a pooch, so it went with its runner-up. But, in short, Jannings is a crook! And a Nazi! And you've wronged one fine canine! I do not think this is not a joke! See Slate (I like the comment by "Thoughtful Ted"):

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/01/04/susan_orlean_demands_an_oscar_for_rin_tin_tin.html

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