Capturing the exact look on Jalen Brunson’s face when he swiped Victor Wembanyama’s soul, that’s the mission, and it’s more crucial than you think. Forget just watching the highlights, because there’s a version of reality where Captain Clutch, our favorite Knick, honed his craft with a pencil instead of a basketball. You might never play pro ball, but you can absolutely develop into a killer illustrator. Don’t even try to say you can’t, because I’m about to show you how to do it, making a simple portrait of JB himself. We’re going to nail that specific, iconic expression.
Building Captain Clutch From the Ground Up
First up, every artist needs to decide what action they’re depicting. Even just a head shot has action: a smile, a squint, a vacant stare. We’re going for that soul-stealing stare. To start, you gotta get the simple head shape down. When I was a kid learning to draw superheroes, it was all about the Loomis method, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. Look, some people just sit down and draw masterpieces without any guides, but honestly, those people are no-good show-offs. You gotta lightly sketch a loose circle or oval. It doesn’t need to be perfect, this is just your construction shape to get the overall size and tilt right. Keep that pencil light, you’ll want to adjust later. And since it’s Jalen’s head we’re talking about, make it a healthy-sized circle.
Next, add some construction guidelines. Draw a vertical centerline to show which way the head is facing, then a gently curved horizontal eye line that wraps around the form. Lightly mark where the eyes, nose, and mouth will go. These placeholders are gonna keep your facial proportions spot-on. If you can’t even do this, you’re off my Pictionary team, no joke. Finally, define that jaw and chin. Use those guidelines to carve the face out of your original circle. Sketch the cheek, the jawline, and the chin, tapering them into that natural head shape. You’ll see it right away: your drawing is gonna transition from simple geometry into a recognizable face. Pretty cool, right? Feeling like a wizard yet?
Bringing the Intensity to Life
Now for the fun part: defining those legendary facial features. On that horizontal eye guideline, sketch almond-shaped eyes. Jalen’s got these sharp, intense eyes, paired with thick, expressive eyebrows that angle slightly downward toward his nose. Shade those brows with quick, directional strokes. We’re not just drawing a face here, we’re trying to capture that killer’s stare combined with, oddly enough, the anguish of a parent’s conditional love. For the nose, use the vertical centerline. Draw the bridge coming down from between the eyes, then add the nostrils and the base of the nose around the lower guideline. If you mess up, relax, just erase and try again. My favorite erasers? White plastic, kneaded, and Mitchell Robinson. Excuse me for a sec, I’m just reflecting on the greatest offensive rebounder ever, got a little misty there.
Position the mouth below the nose. Start with the upper lip, then the lower. Keep it relatively straight, but with that natural curvature. Check out how those philtrum columns form a subtle heart at the top center of his upper lip. Hubba hubba! Betcha this fella is a good kisser. Captain Clutch? More like Captain Cuddles!
So, you’ve got the foundation, you’ve got the intensity, and you’re well on your way to capturing the essence of Brunson’s game-changing look. Keep practicing, because that “soul-stealing” expression isn’t going to draw itself perfectly the first time. Keep that picture of him in your head, that moment he took it all, and let’s get ready to really refine this masterpiece next time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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