My new entry for the 18th Century Club's contest. This is also intended as a gift for a dear friend of mine, but it was good enough to be entered.

This was drawn by hand. Except for the parts that weren't. From the middle of the chin to the hair, all I have on the original is a light pencil outline. I finished it and the eyes in .gimp. I think it looks very good.

For the 18th Century Club's contest, which is too draw yourself in eighteenth century garb. Since I tried drawing a powdered wig (I thought it looked stupid with it), I decided to draw myself in the late 18th and early 19th century style, Regency (England)/Empire (France). Mainly because I prefer it, and it called for natural hair. And side burns. *sick grin* It was based on a shadow portrait of myself that was made last year. Plus, I think I might look better when you don't see my entire face.

My family has ancestry in both Germany & France. The French side came from France in the 17th century, where that branch remained until the American Civil war, when one of my ancestors was a General in the Union Army. The branch split, with groups in Minnesota, Colorado, and other northern states.

My German side came from Germany in the mid-1840s (we still have mutliple pieces of 18th century German Rococo furniture and books from the time in Germany, my favorites being a gilded and painted Curio and Table). They then established the Best Brewery (their last name). After Captain Pabst married into the family, the brewery's name was changed to Pabst Blue Ribbon. The Maple leaf on the bottle has a "B" in it, to stand of "Best".

As you might imagine, this doesn't represent how I would have looked had I been in either branch of my family at era in question, but how I imagine myself had I lived in that era. Also, I have no idea if Germany followed Regency/Empire fashions as closely as the English and French.

I imagine myself as a country gentleman, with an estate and Palladian-style mansion in some county in the English Lake District. I would guess that I would have been in the Military (ala Col. Fitzwilliam, where I spend most of the time at home), hence the black stock, rather than the white cravat worn by civilians of the time.

In the drawing I am wearing a white, high-collored, ruffle-fronted shirt, a cream-colored waistcoat, and a navy blue tail coat with M-notch lapels.