Self Portrait

The subject of my art is me, since it's a self portrait. This artwork was made with a grid, charcoal, graphite, 6B pencil, 4H pencil, white ink, black ink, and white chalk. I started this piece in the left top corner with drawing out the shape of my hair. Then I painted the hair and shirt with black ink, and put a layer of charcoal over it. I sprayed it with a charcoal setting spray, then drew the highlights of the hair with white chalk and white ink, and I drew the stripes on my shirt with white chalk. I then shaded the light on the wall behind me. After that, I drew out my glasses, drew my eyebrow with a 6B pencil, and shaded my face and neck. I then made my mouth and chin with my eraser from my pencil. After that, I made my necklace with a 6B, and 4H pencil, drew my eye with charcoal, a 6B pencil, 4H pencil, and white chalk. And then I colored my glasses. I chose to create this specific artwork, because Mrs. Medsker said that It looked more artsy so I drew it instead of the other photo. Specific elements and principles I used in this artwork was, value you can tell this because the black values vs. the white and gray. I also used, contrast as the darks contrast the lights, and balance because even though the self portrait is half of my face, the wall and where it's placed make it seem balanced and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Some composition rules and techniques I used in my artwork was, informal balance as I explained up above. I also used a high horizon line because as you can see in the drawing, my eye is looking straight ahead, which is above the middle. One thing I revised in my drawing was the glasses and eyebrows. At first my eyebrows were off and too light, then when I drew my glasses which took me a very long time to get just right, but until I drew my glasses I was able to draw my eyebrow darker with a 6B pencil.

I don't think there is really a meaning to this artwork since it's a self portrait, I guess the story is that I didn't have a good picture to draw my self portrait, so I had my friend take one, and this drawing is one of the better pictures my friend took. I guess this drawing relates to my life because it's a self portrait and it's me. If I could change anything in my artwork it would be my mouth and my neck, because I don't like how they turned out, they look a little weird and close to the picture, but not exact. I would maybe blend the neck a little and less bendy like, and I would erase the mouth a little more, because it looks smaller than the picture does.