Sketchbook Time 3

Family Business (sketchbook video, roaring criminal families)

Last night I wanted to spend some time in my sketchbook with colored pencils in an effort to bring my sketchbook drawings and my paintings in general a bit closer together. Less linework, more color. Also to get back into the swing of things.

I referenced these fellows from the Mugshots book I talked about earlier. What fascinated me about this gang o’ trouble is that they were brothers. A criminal family business. In my sketchbook it’s a trio. In reality, it’s a duo. One of them had an extra photo, where he didn’t look like himself so much, so I assumed it was a trio right up until writing this and doing some actual fact checking and now I feel silly.

Regardless, meet the Marshall brothers, Arthur and Charles Marshall. In 1921, they broke into a shop and stole diamond rings to resell. It was interesting to me to observe their features, indeed they had similar noses, a similar glint in the eye, they put their mouth in a familiar pout. They were based in Melbourne but got sentenced rather harshly in Sydney, a three-year sentence. The court wanted to set an example; Sydney had enough criminals of its own without importing them from elsewhere. Another thing that fascinated me is that they each went through quite a collection of surnames, they are credited as not just Marshall, but also Cole and Watson. I guess that comes with being an interstate felon on the move.

“Reckon this diamond ring would look real nice on that finger of yours, real nice.”

I spent about an hour on this, all together., in a sketchbook, with colored pencils.

XOXO