Realistic Self Portrait

In this piece, I was trying to create an accurate and proportional portrait of myself. I was exploring the graph method for the first time and was also learning how to shape and shade shadows accurately.

I started by finding a baby picture of myself, I printed it and then graphed rows one inch apart, and columns one inch apart. I then transferred this graph onto a larger piece of paper using a method to keep it proportional. I then graphed on the paper and started drawing with my lightest pencil. I went square by square from left to right starting in the top left corner, I worked very slowly because I wanted this to be as accurate as possible. When I needed to add highlights I would dab the moldable eraser where I needed some lift and I would then shade back in the appropriate amount. While going square by square I would stop and make sure my drawing was proportional, and if I found that it wasn't, I would go back in and fix it, and then continue on. Once I was over halfway done with my portrait, I could make longer strokes and make sure that all the rows blended together as perfectly as possible. I made sure that the dark areas were dark enough and that the light areas were light enough and in the correct spot, especially the highlights.

Something that I struggled with throughout the entire process was making the shadows and highlights accurate, which took a lot of trial and error and I used the moldable eraser about every two minutes. Something that was also challenging for me was the hair, getting it to look like hair with all the same highlights and lowlights. It was also hard transitioning from hair to forehead, making that transition seamless, but also noticeable and visually making sense was definitely my biggest challenge. Something that was helpful for me during the process however was using the white blending tool made of paper. I could make that skin look smoother and more even, and keep the hair how it was. I also learned that the direction I was. drawing in mattered. Without blending, I could still define. two things that could be the same shade that was right next to each other, and example of this would be the downward strokes I used to draw my hair, and the horizontal stroked I used to draw the background, there was sometimes the same shade, yet completely and noticeably separate/different things. Overall this was a highly challenging learning process and I am definitely very familiar with graphite now.