#self portrait study

Maniac selfies: 2012 vs 2021

First one was for an independent study art class. It was drawn from observation over a few class periods. I wasn’t very confident with pencil/graphite, so I focused on breaking my face into planes and sticking to angular lines.

The sketch wasn’t approached with precision, but with speed and instinct. Instead of carefully constructing the space, the focus was on capturing its structure before it could be overthought. The arch came first—its shape anchoring everything else—drawn in uneven, repeated lines to suggest age rather than accuracy.

From there, the details were allowed to build themselves. The statues weren’t rendered as perfect figures, but as impressions—faces suggested through quick marks, their presence more important than their form. The plants, which dominate the original image, were treated almost like movement instead of objects. Lines overlap, tangle, and repeat, creating a sense of growth that feels uncontrolled.

Color was limited intentionally. Using only primary tones, the sketch relies on layering rather than blending. Red, blue, and yellow are placed side by side, sometimes clashing, sometimes merging visually at a distance. Instead of smoothing transitions, the contrast is left visible, making the process part of the final image.