Cardinal Cardijn portrait sketch
While still a student, I met a group of cool young people who were members of the local youth movement KAJ (aka JOC, or "Young Christian Workers"). And because it clicked so well, I also became a member after a while.
The years that followed were among the best of my life, we had a great time together.
The KAJ was founded by Joseph Cardijn, a very special Catholic Cardinal who constantly stood up for the Christian working-class youth and taught them that they too could conquer the world, if they believed in it themselves!
One day I was asked to draw the portrait of Joseph Cardijn. I didn't make a detailed drawing, rather a quick sketch,
because I did it among friends, for free.
This is my original drawing from back then, quite damaged as it was made on plain typing paper.
MY NAME IS EMBARRASSINGLY HUGE because it was meant to be printed very small, on the front of the local membership cards.
This is a reconstruction, I've lost my real one a long time ago. My name is still much too big, but at that time I couldn't test it, one could only copy in full size
with a photocopy machine. Reducing or enlarging became possible only a few years later.
You made a drawing and you handed it over to the printing house. And they did all the rest.
The result was something like this ... They were on green cardboard, I remember. Not really chic ... :-)
But while it was made quickly, the likeness was good. And the sketchy style kept it lively.
After so many years I still have a good feeling about it.