My class was given a large scale portrait assignment, and I decided to challenge myself with eight additional heads and dynamic angles. I had previously used charcoal in another portrait, but wanted to try it again and focus on improving my use of value and tone. I mostly used my hands to blend the charcoal in this piece, and walking away from a couple hours of work with my hands covered in dust made me feel like I put a little bit of myself into every detail. The piece’s identity as a self portrait also holds significance to me. As I was creating the piece and staring at my reference photos for hours and hours, my mind tended to wander and I started reflecting on who I am as a person and, further, as an artist.