What Did You Say

What Did You Say
From the Lost Drawings Series by Peter Bogdanov
Graphite and ink on sketch-grade newsprint
Snarl. Smirk. Challenge. “What Did You Say” doesn’t ask a question—it dares you to answer. Drawn during Peter Bogdanov’s early years in art school, this expressive portrait is less about likeness and more about energy—capturing a flash of raw, reactive attitude in the space between hearing and hitting back.
The figure leans forward, neck taut, mouth twisted mid-retort. The line work is quick, confident, and confrontational—bold graphite strokes framed with jagged ink detail that suggests more than one layer of emotion. There’s no softness here, no polite posing. Instead, it’s the visual equivalent of side-eye with teeth.
Bogdanov often used his formative work to test the boundaries of portraiture—not just capturing the face, but the story behind the expression. In this case, it’s rebellion. Defense. Maybe humor. The newsprint base adds to the gritty immediacy—nothing precious, just a flash of character thrown down before it vanished.
The original piece was one of many lost in the twin hurricanes that devastated the artist’s Florida studio in 2024. Only a high-res digital capture remained—enough to preserve the gesture, the attitude, the fire.
To own “What Did You Say” is to hang a moment of resistance on your wall. A face that won’t flinch. A fragment of youth with something to prove.