I am most proud of my realistic self portrait drawn from charcoal. I am most proud of it because when comparing this piece to some of my previous work especially my work from one or two years ago I can clearly see how much I have improved. Over this semester, especially in the hyper-realism unit, I have acquired many new skills centered around how to draw 3D objects based on how lighting effects value, and how to create the illusion of dimension in a three dimensional drawing. By studying the basis of key facial features and highlights, creating a face from scratch now seems much less daunting. Overall, the exercises leading up to, and the process of creating my final piece have contributed to my understanding of translating the real world into a drawing, and how an artist must observe objects differently than how they initially appear to create a convincingly realistic piece. I am passionate about realism, and I am proud that I have created this piece which is recognizable as my face.