Kobe. Pencil, 2010.

My old friend and art teacher John Viljoen once told me that an artist should be able to replicate something they’ve done before, but do it better. He explained to me that this was key for showcasing your evolution, while establishing stylistic continuity.

This piece depicting Kobe Bryant was the ‘next evolution’ of another drawing that I’d made two years prior, in 2008. That piece (below) shows Dwyane Wade, also with stylized text that acts as a backdrop.