Sick of Damn Stalin

The last few days I have been looking at pictures of Stalin.

I have no interest in Josef Stalin beyond learning enough about him that I don't want to grow up to be like him, but he was the central character in Barry Udoff's cover story "Why Stalin Slept" -- and so ... 

I started by Googling "Stalin" images. Nothing I found was in the public domain, and the Smithsonian's and Library of Congress's Flickr sites had yer basic nothing.

So I thought I would just draw him, from some photo.

Guess again. What I was seeing, I was not able to make come across on paper. Pictures of Stalin ooze suspicion and arrogance, and I was unable to capture it.

Not only was I not able to capture the "spirit" of the photographs, I also could not seem to make them silly enough.

 This one I started in pencil, switched to ballpoint pen, then to a flexible-tip marker for the boldness. No go, doesn't look like Stalin, and even had I greened in the face goo, it would not have looked particularly funny.

That it doesn't look like him is strange, because I blew up a photo of him in Photoshop, dragged my light table out of the closet and installed it in my new studio (which I have been meaning to do for months) and actually traced the dictator's face.

In aggravation, I turned again to a search for public domain photos, and found some on Wikipedia, a site I don't trust at all, but does come up with public domain pictures, damn them for being useful.

Once again I downloaded the photo, printed it out after re-sizing it in Photoshop, and set to with the light table.

I gave it up as soon as the pencil sketch was done, and came back inside (shedding fingerless mitts and heavy duty sweats) and frantically resumed my search for public domain pics that might serve.

I found one, finally, and after yet another learning experience with Photoshop, was able to cobble up Stalin in a turban and green facial.

Then I was ready to leave the too-hot kitchen and slink back out to my chilly studio, and finish inking the second sketch, just because I should. 

Doesn't look like Stalin. Lacks movement. Sucks. Still, I did it in ballpoint, and still like the way a ballpoint pen handles. 

Nevertheless, I'm weary of Stalin (for the moment) and think I'll draw some ... I dunno. Flamingos. Raccoons. Old nude women who still think they're hott.  Something. Just not Stalin.