So I was watching some old World Cup highlights the other day and saw Neymar just staring at the trophy after they lost in 2014. Man, the look on his face was something else. It got me thinking, I should try to capture that feeling in a drawing.
Getting Started with the Sketch
First thing I did was grab my sketchbook and a pencil. I wanted to focus on his eyes and the expression more than anything. I found a good reference photo from that moment and just started with rough shapes. You know, a circle for the head, lines for the shoulders. The usual beginner stuff.
I messed up the proportions like three times. His head was too big, then too small. I had to keep erasing and starting over. It was kinda frustrating, but you gotta push through that.
Working on the Details
Once I finally got the basic shape down, I started on the face. This is where it got tricky. How do you draw someone looking at something? I tried to really focus on the direction of his gaze. I shaded around the eyes a lot, making them darker to show that he’s just staring, lost in thought.
I completely botched the nose the first time. It looked like a potato. So I erased it and tried again, this time using lighter strokes. For the hair, I didn’t try to draw every single curl. I just used my pencil to create dark, messy patches to give the idea of his hairstyle.
Finishing Up and My Thoughts
After a couple of hours, I stepped back to look at it. It’s not perfect, far from it. The jawline is a bit off and one eye is slightly bigger than the other. But you can tell it’s him, and you can kinda feel that “looking at the World Cup” emotion. That was the goal anyway.
What did I learn? Drawing a specific emotion is hard. It’s not just about getting the lines right; it’s about capturing a feeling. I think I need to practice expressions more. Maybe I’ll try another athlete next time, someone with a really clear, strong emotion.
Overall, it was a good practice session. It reminded me that sometimes the most powerful stories are told without any words at all, just a look.