Physiognomies

Physiognomies is a sketchbook of faces, gestures and behavior. Drawn in India ink, charcoal and pastel, these studies explore how a human face holds weight, shadow and tension, and how a single gesture can reveal what words hide.

Volume 01 gathers drawings in four chapters, beginning with Mass: the density of ink and charcoal, the corner of the eye, the mouth that waits, the weight of the head. Each plate is paired with short field notes, as if the pages were pulled straight from the artist’s notebook.

The work of Jayme Lago Mestieri, an architect and visual artist, who has spent two decades drawing people alongside buildings. A book for artists, designers and anyone who looks at faces closely.