Art Class: Last Project!! Self Portrait

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?I selected the three artworks I did as inspiration because each one of them show the beauty in women. Each piece is realistic, and attractive. The first woman (Bess Norriss) appears very happy and confident standing straight with her hand on her hip like a boss. The second woman appears to be showing a bit of sexuality. Her makeup is beautiful and sexy, as she makes a cute face with her lips pouting in a sexual way. Lastly, the last woman Frida Kahlo has her shirt pulled up her back as she lies in a bed smirking making a sneaky face. She looks happy and confident in her body and her image.

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait? Ichose to use pencil because for a picture like a self-portrait I feel like pencil is the best choice for a realistic look, which is what I was going for. Pencil can shade, it can erase, it seems like the best way for me personally to create a very realistic, accurate picture!

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them? It was very hard actually! It is difficult to draw yourself, let alone draw anything at all! It is hard to get the shapes right in the face, the proportions, shading, etc. I erased a lot, and tried over and over again that is how I overcame my obstacles.

4. How does this piece represent you? This piece represents me in every way! I am smiling…because I am always happy. I am also holding my Pitbull. He is everything to me and I love him more than anything in this world! I have grown a huge love and passion for the breed and one day I will do my part in helping rescue them.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work? I used symmetry, line, balance, texture, contrast, etc. My image is symmetric. I believe that symmetry is beauty. Lines I used throughout the whole picture to create it. It is balanced as it is centered in the middle of the paper. My hair gently falls onto my dog as my head is tilted into his, creating a balance in the picture. Texture is shown through my hair, and in my dog’s nose and mouth. I shaded his dark spots and made my hair look textured. I used contrast in shades of grey through pressing the pencil down harder in certain spots making some lighter or darker than others.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project? I did enjoy working on this project because it was of ME! It was fun and different. I like using pencil and doing what I want to do. I liked the fact that it could be done in any media too. So happy I got to incorporate my dog into it.

7. What do you think of your final artwork? I love my final artwork. Now that I have drawn it with pencil, next time I think it would be cool to do an acrylic or oil paint. I liked the photo I chose and it shows my confidence, happiness, and love for animals.

Inspiration Pieces from Google Arts & Culture: