Interview with Nelson Long, Jr.

by Monica Tanksley


Q:  You commented on the women you draw, that they are 'women who symbolize strength and honor, who went where 

I have yet to go' – can you elaborate?
A:  The women I draw were at the peak of female awareness, when men were at their worst towards each other: These women, 

black and white, had to endure the social problems of the day that their men brought home.  And in their homes, these women 

became the mothers of man's problems and concerns. The woman that I draw shouldered burdens of unbelievable proportions. 

 For while her home life mostly was one of equality, her outside world incorporated social discrimination.  In some cases; her 

man warped this woman's mind; his hate of fellow man spilled over and burned a hole in her soul.  She knew first hand what 

discrimination was.  Then, these women woke up.  Stood up.  Stepped forward and became once again the mother of humanity.

  Look back at any social struggle in the past century and you’ll see women in the forefront.  Today’s woman has assimilated 

too much into the games men play with one another.  Power, money and covertness have replaced the tradition and honor of 

being the stabilizing force of humanity.  The women I draw had to raise children that numbered from five to twenty, many of 

which weren’t theirs.  Today’s woman becomes stressed over just one child.  Her state of mind seems to dictate the mood of 

humanity.  Look at our world today and you’ll see the state of mind our women are in.

Q:  What inspires your illustrations?
A:  I need no inspiration.  I draw as I breathe.  However, I dislike drawing pictures that have no meaning, no history, no song to

 sing to our children.  When I draw portraits I study the eyes and start there.  The eyes tell me about the pain, happiness, hope

 and mood of my subject at the time of the photograph.  I transcend the photo and become one with the subject.  God has

 given me a gift to see, not just to look.  Being only a mortal in the spiritual sense, I don’t understand some of the visions 

that overwhelm me.  Instead of speaking about what I see, I draw.  Humanity has a problem with visionaries when the vision 

doesn’t conform to traditional concepts.  Am I being prepared for some monumental task?  Or am I just one of many who

 have attained a state of awareness through faith and self-reflection?  Whatever the reason for these visions, I welcome 

any task God puts before me for the good of humanity.  I guess my inspiration actually comes from God, The Master Artist.

Q:  What do you consider the "key elements" to outstanding illustration?
A:  In illustrating people, I consider realism the key element.  In art, as in other mediums of life, man creates nothing.  He uses

 what is already there, what God has created.  Humanities’ natural resources are the mediums on the canvas of life.  When an

 artist illustrates a picture that shows feeling, depth, and the true nature of the subject, then the key elements have been

 achieved.

Q:  Many people have different environmental preferences when drawing.  Some like to draw in seclusion while some prefer drawing with other people around; Some enjoy music while others like to work in complete silence. What are your environmental preferences?
A:  I try to block out the noise around me.  Usually, I start early in the morning when everyone is asleep, and finish that night

 or the next morning.  I love to have children around me to facilitate my imagination and theirs. I give them an idea of what can 

be and in turn, these children search within themselves for the same gift.  Having a woman sit there as I draw is also preferable. 

 As a man, I seek to impress her- not by what I’m doing, but by returning what she impresses upon my imagination - inducing

 a creative flow within me.

Q:  Looking back at all the portraits, posters and greeting cards you’ve drawn over the years, which are you most pleased with and why?
A:  The focus of my personal themes has always been to perpetuate African American culture, using the voices of the past, 

present and future to send a message.  My favorite male subjects are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stevie Wonder and 

Michael Jordan.  I’ve found that Jordan's image is conducive in teaching our youth the concepts of team play.  The team 

is the family that assists one another, rebounds from adversity, and sacrifices personal goals to achieve family goals. Above 

all, the members of this family play the game of life to the best of their ability.  In illustrating women, my mother is the perfect

 subject.  Many of my cards featuring women’s themes were drawn of my mother at different periods of her life.  To me, this 

was one of the best ways of honoring her.

Q:  What is your personal goal in the realm of art?
A:  In the realm of art, my personal goal is to compete with other artists. Other than that, I have no set goal.  I take the 

completion of each day as a major accomplishment.

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