Miles Davis (Night Shift Study)
Ballpoint pen on paper

This Miles portrait was one of the last in a series I did while I was still working in person on night shift at NC State. Those nights were long. Drawing made them feel shorter. And it was honestly kind of great getting to trade music with people in the middle of all that—different songs, different eras, different entry points.

I like Miles. A lot. And whenever I say that out loud, I can feel the little pause people do—like, oh yeah? what does the white guy know about jazz? More than one might think. Not in a “let me prove it” way. Just… I’ve spent time with it. It’s in there.

With this one, the goal was simple: make it striking. Get that intensity that Miles could carry without doing anything flashy. Tight crop, direct stare, heavy shadows, and that hard edge of contrast that feels almost like stage light. Ballpoint is perfect for that—no softness unless you earn it. The crosshatching and the deep blacks do a lot of the talking, and the negative space keeps it from getting muddy.

Does it succeed? I think it does. It’s visually loud without being messy. The eyes land first and don’t really let go, and the composition feels intentional—like you’re too close, on purpose. If anything, the “striking” part isn’t just the technique. It’s the decision to push it that far and commit.

-PERSONAL COLLECTION-