“Self-Portrait” Process
Main reference photos.
My main references didn’t include some objects that I felt would elevate the meaning behind them. The images above are references I used for objects I artificially added into the environments.
I paid close attention to unity and symmetry with these pieces. The goal was to include details that are both blended into the environment and thought-provoking when noticed. Me and my mother are similar in how we organize our spaces, but different in the content in them.
I began the right piece by toning the paper, then erasing general shapes, going over again with vine and compressing charcoal. Blending stumps and paper towel were used to soften lines and values. For the left piece, I did not tone my paper first. I wanted the background lighter, and toning would not allow that. Instead, I outlined forms with the charcoal sticks. This gave me higher contrats throughout the piece.