Al Hirschfeld

“I consider myself a character actor. I try to get into the skin of the person I'm drawing.”

“I don't think I've ever drawn a caricature. I think I've drawn a character.”

“You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.”

“The trick is to capture the essence of a person, the gesture, the personality, and you have to do it with a few lines.”

“Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons.”

“Life is an art, not a science. You make it up as you go along.”

“Drawing is a form of thinking.”

“If you live long enough, you'll see everything.”

“A drawing is an invention.”

“I am interested in the 'is-ness' of a person. The 'was' or 'will be' doesn't interest me.”

“You just keep working and you hope for the best.”