Sketches

Will Dinh "King Von Memorial"

9x12", Alcohol Marker and Colored Pencil on Paper, 2025 

 My idea was to make a King Von drawing for my project, to memorialize him after he was shot in Atlanta. I got the idea from the fact that I've seen a lot of R.I.P. King Von memorials online. And I wanted to make an artpiece that commemorates him and everything he did for the rap community.

I started by drawing the face, and I tried to recreate his iconic dreads that he had. To do this correctly, I used an image of him that I found online. To make this, I used alcohol markers and colored pencils.

This artwork honors King Von and serves as a visual tribute to his impact on the rap community. I want the people who see this to reflect on his contributions to the culture and think about how artists can inspire others despite hardships. The use of strong contrast and bold color symbolizes the intensity and emotion in his music.

The hardest part of this piece was accurately drawing his facial features while maintaining realism and expression. I overcame this by sketching lightly in pencil first and layering colors slowly to build depth. If I were to do it again, I would spend more time planning the lighting and background to add more atmosphere or symbolic elements.

This artwork is realistic. What makes it unique in my style is the combination of smooth marker blending and colored pencil detailing, which helps bring out texture and emotion. I tend to focus on people who inspire me, and I love that this piece reflects both respect and admiration. What I like most about it is how it captures a moment of legacy; it feels like more than just a portrait; it's a memorial.