This Is What Democracy Looks Like!

This is a second sketch from the San Diego March in Solidarity with Immigrants. I made many line sketches Saturday of the march and am finishing them with gouache and comparing them for impact. Both of the two sketches, yesterday’s and today’s, have some elements that I think are strong.

An American flag dominates this sketch. The flag is a symbol that conveys a message of Americans exercising their consciences, voices and constitutional rights. As the sign indicates, this is what democracy looks like. Additionally, the people are all dressed in a common color and all face in a common direction and this has a stronger visual impact than the fully painted sketch of yesterday. However, the emotion of the woman in red from yesterday’s sketch is missing  and so makes the impact of today’s story weaker. Perhaps I should try a combination of both sketches tomorrow.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper, with help from Procreate for putting in the words on the signs.