Personal Portraits

Personal Portraits (Graphite) asks students to slow down and work from meaningful, self-selected reference photographs—often a family member, a loved one, or a photograph of themselves from an earlier time. Using graphite, students focused on careful observation, proportion, and value to create detailed, realistic portraits that balance technical skill with emotional presence.

This assignment emphasizes subtlety: soft transitions of light and shadow, sensitive handling of facial features, and attention to texture in hair, skin, and clothing. Because the references are personal, students are encouraged to think beyond likeness alone and consider expression, age, memory, and mood. The drawings often capture quiet moments—youthful expressions, candid smiles, or unguarded gestures—that give the portraits a sense of intimacy and narrative.

Together, these works demonstrate how strong observational drawing skills can be used to tell personal stories. The resulting portraits feel both technically refined and deeply human, highlighting the connection between drawing, memory, and identity.