The stack of books on the table to my right were ones that I actually used in my research for both senior seminars. They are stacked together, the history mixed with anthropology, as a nod to the two sides of the work I was engaging with. Clutched in my left hand is Beauty Shop Politics by the historian, Tiffany Gill. In the early months of the history senior seminar, the professor asked, “What would you consider to be your holy grail source?” Beauty Shop Politics was that book for me and played an important role in my research which is why it is highlighted and separated from the others. I wanted my self-portrait to be intentional in the placement of the objects, the setting, and the positioning of myself.

I used the projector to outline the basic shapes in the picture and to mark the grids on the paper. I then used the photograph I took as reference for the shading. Inspired by the midterm project, I mostly used the HB and Ebony pencil to keep the drawing light and to avoid going too dark which I have a tendency to do when using charcoal. I used the blending method and used a kneaded eraser to draw out highlights and layered slight hatching marks to mimic a wood grain on the rocking chair. 

The window and the folds of my sweater are the biggest success in my opinion. The shading of the window and creating the reflection turned out better than I had anticipated. After seeing so many people draw fabric I kind of studied their work to create the texture on the sweater which turned out well.

The bricks were the hardest part of the entire project. Making sure the lines were not skewed, shading the bricks, blending them, and then creating texture took quite a bit of time. I would say that the floor of the porch would be the least successful element in the piece. I still think that the vine charcoal was a good choice considering that it blended well and I could easily remove as much of it as I needed. But, I would go back and try to change how I used it. The floor just does not match the control seen in the wall and the body. Also, making sure that each element would be distinguishable was another challenge. I wanted to create depth and make sure that the books did not bleed into the table and that the viewer could see where the rocking chair began and where my body stopped. 

During the process, I did underestimate how long it would take me to finish the piece. I think the bricks and the time I took on those did throw me for a loop and pushed me back from starting other sections of the piece. The shading and blending and layering definitely made this drawing take a bit longer, but I think the effect was worth it in the end. 

My main goal for this project was to become more creative and to learn how to play around more in terms of techniques and materials. I noticed that I tend to gravitate toward realistic styles and I wanted to move away from that. I just feel like I play it safe most of the time, especially when I think back to ART-160.

I liked the self-portrait I finished in that class. However, when I looked at my peers who took greater risks using different techniques for each square, I liked their pieces more and wished I had done the same. For the series, I had room to experiment and could do so without worrying about having to start over.

The process was long and sometimes frustrating for me because while I wanted to be freer in terms of style and material, but I still had some hesitation with some of the pieces that I did. I have to say that the pieces that I did later in the process are some of my favorite ones, especially under a time crunch. I became a lot less worried about the end product as much and more concerned with variety and if I was challenging myself enough. I started experimenting with different size paper and different contours of paper.

I would say that creating texture with different mediums and learning how that worked was a success of mine during this process such as the texture of my fluffy coat and different hairstyles. Also, mixing different mediums. Pen with India ink, oil paint with watercolor, ink with watercolor, and collage. I broke out of my comfort zone with a lot of these and accomplished my goal of getting more creative. Some pieces were broken into several drawings that were distinct but came together to create a whole.

Some were more experimental such as the ones where I used wrapping paper. It connects with me as a person (my spirit animal is decidedly a llama) and adds greater visual interest when looking at the series. One is even more interactive with the wrapping paper slightly obscuring the face, but you can also lift it up to view what is underneath.

However, not all were successes. The white pen drawing with white charcoal on purple paper was my least favorite overall. I tried to be more gestural but I did not like how it turned out. The drawing lacked key structure and proportion. Additionally, the first two drawings that I did with white charcoal were good with learning how to engage with the material, but the outcomes were not intentional. Proportions and trying to balance them without a grid was more difficult than I thought it would be. I was trying to get better at drawing portraits and faces, especially since I know proportions are a bit harder for me. So some drawings are more accurate than others. If I were to go back and do some over it would be the earlier pieces.

Throughout the process, I have learned several things. Drawing without a grid also connected with the goal of being more creative and more flexible during the process. Along the way, I found a different method of planning out the proportions such as blocking it out roughly with simple shapes like rectangles and squares and then going back in to fill out the details. I also got a better sense of working with ink and learning patience with the medium. I took Professor Emerson’s advice and started just going where the ink took me, and those were the pieces that I am proud of. You can really see a progression from the very first ink drawing to the last one I did for this series.

Overall, I am happy with the pieces that I have produced and would like to continue to experiment with different styles of drawing.

Two self-portraits compose the piece and are placed side-by-side with a white frame around them. A white line separates the two individuals and gives them both a distinct setting that contrasts with each other. Both scenes contain organic lines that outline the human form which stands in contrast to the lines which define the space around and between the two figures. Uneven distribution of space and power can be seen between the two scenes. The portrait on the left has more space in the composition and towers over the right side portrait in scale. The portrait is drawn using a mixture of graphite stick, HB pencil, and Ebony pencil using a blending technique to achieve a smooth texture. The figure on the left carries a peaceful, calm expression on her face bringing lighthearted energy to the portrait. The eyes are closed, not tightly, but resting in a relaxed manner which blocks her gaze from the viewer. It gives the impression that she is unaware of the looked upon and that the viewer is seeing a snapshot of a moment of contentedness. Her head tilts backward slightly in a motion that exposes her neck and elongates her frame, the eyes following from the neck to her arms which rests across her chest. 

    Though containing the same subject, the portrait on the right stands in direct contrast to the portrait on the left. The right side portrait is placed in a narrower space than the figure on the left giving the impression that the figure is confined. Though confined to a smaller space, the right-side portrait captures attention through its darker tone rather than scale. While the portrait on the left reveals her face to the viewer, the portrait on the right blocks her face with her hands which dominates her scene. The only visible parts of her face being her eye which gives nothing away. The downward tilt of her hair adds to the sense of hiding and lacks the openness of the left-side figure.   

Although greatly contrasting in expression and tone, the two figures relate to each through position and subject. They are literally showcasing the same person and focus on the same body parts of the person. Additionally, the lines of the hands and arms line up and follow from on side of the page to the other which merges across the white line that divides the page. In the work, I wanted to explore the concept of openness and closedness and expression. The left side has an openness and vulnerability that the right side lacks. The neck and face are exposed and the subject is blissfully unaware of her surroundings. The right side holds mystery. She is closed off and painfully aware, staring into the gaze of the viewer. She seems to be closing in on herself.

I enjoyed the process of making this piece and the concept of pairs. I believe the areas of success were the face and hands. The proportions seem to be even between the body, face, and hands. I am also proud of the shading of the neck on the left portrait. However, there are areas for improvement. The texture of the hair on the left side portrait lacks the highlights and depth of the hair of the right-side portrait. The nose of the light-side figure could use more blending especially across the bridge of the nose. Though mimics the darkness of the photograph, I wish I had added some highlights to the eye on the right-side portrait to make it more realistic. The draping of the fabric on the t-shirt of the left side figure is a little messy and lacks depth. I intended for the left side to be a bit lighter and I should have used more of the HB pencil rather than the Ebony pencil. Despite the areas of improvement, I would still classify this piece as a success.

The piece is black and white composed of black India ink and charcoal. The scene shows part of the staircase that gives the sense that the viewer is looking up from the bottom of the staircase rather than from the top of it. The stairs are situated to the right of the frame in a diagonal line receding into space with the stairs closer to the viewer being bigger in size than those that are farther. The railing of the stairs draws the eyes upward to view a landing platform positioned to the top left of the page, the railing from the landing drawing the viewer’s eye up and out of the frame. The dramatic shadows and marks from the charcoal pencil give the piece a sense of movement. Additionally, the spaces between the stair railing and the stairs themselves allow for the viewer to see between them and gives a sense of space. The white wall giving depth by dragging itself further into space which can be seen through the stairs and railing. Shadows compose the emptiness below the stairs.

The stairs is the main focal element of the piece that engages the eye of the viewer. The positioning of the stairs which starts in the middle of the bottom of the frame, ends on the top right of the frame. The sense of space and ascending nature of the stairs draw attention. The railing and handrail creates a triangular space of focus which connections the elements in the top left to the stairs. Because of the heavy shadows presented, the mood of the drawing is a little somber. As if the scene was captured on a cloudy, rainy day. The linear lines and lack of a natural form adds to the somber tone through the absence of life. The shadowed empty spaces below the stairs, at the end of the white wall, and at the top of the stairs adds to the tone and separation from life. The use of stairs as a subject captures the idea of light, line, and space in that the linear lines of the stairs guide the eyes around the page and divides the space. The use of India ink and charcoal to create intense blacks adds to the overall characteristics of the drawing. The simplicity of the subject allows the lines to truly engage with the viewer.

Because the lines take center stage in the composition, it becomes apparent that they are not completely straight which adds more character into the piece but distractions from its intention as a study of architecture. The spacing of the stairs is also problematic because they do not line up with the actual subject. The darkness of the drawing also adds more drama than originally intended and could be fixed with a lighter hand and the use of a different drawing medium. Lighter values would have allowed for a greater chance for detail of the texture of the stairs rather than the smoothness that they are. The composition of space and the inclusion of more humanistic elements would breathe life into the piece. Instead of the shadows to fill the emptiness, the inclusion of some objects seen in those spaces would have enhanced the drawing. The texture of the white wall also leaves something to be desired, however, the lines of the shading adds movement to an otherwise static subject. The mini set of stairs at the top right side are the best in terms of shading and linework. The mixture of the India ink and charcoal worked well in this corners and would be amazing to see replicated throughout the entire piece.