National Galleries of Scotland

Charles Avery creates his drawings of enigmatic groups of figures by starting from one area of the body, often a nose, and working outwards from there until a character is created. Each subsequent figure is created in reaction to the previous one until a narrative begins to emerge. Avery puts most detail into the faces and hands of his figures, as he views these as vital for expression. The left-hand edge of this drawing reveals that it has been neatly removed from a spiral-bound pad. However, this is not a preparatory sketch for a painting, as Avery views drawing as important in its own right and uses it as a way to encourage the viewer to interact. He explains, 'Drawing puts much more trust in the viewer. Drawing is a form of writing, it?s a telling medium and people get involved in it.'