And this week’s featured Throwback is…
Title: Beauty and the Beast
Medium: Graphite on paper
Size: 24″ x 18″
When: I think this was in my Drawing 2 class; fall semester junior year, 2004
Purpose: Class assignment
History: The teacher we had for this class was very much into incorporating random things together and abstracting everything. Our assignment was to do a self portrait, but we had to put something into it that made the viewer think about what was really happening.
Thought process: I was going through a really difficult time when I did this drawing. I had post-traumatic stress disorder and was in therapy. A previous relationship from high school was coming back to haunt me, and I used my art as a way to work through it.
In order to get the hand in the hair to look right, I took a picture of myself with my own hand raking through my hair. I made it more muscular like a man’s hand, thinking along the lines that my personal demons are causing pain or remembering physical abuse that I had been on the receiving end of years before.
I wanted to keep the details light except for the eye; I wanted to convey my thoughts of wondering if anyone was really seeing what I was going through.
Problems I encountered: Getting the hair and hand to work together was a big struggle. I don’t think it’s quite right, but it took a long time to get it to where it is now.
Fun tidbits: I think the model I used for all the detail in the hand is actually from Michelangelo’s sculpture David!
Favorite part of the piece: I think the eye turned out really really well!
Least favorite part of the piece: My nose is too fat 🙂
What do you use as an outlet when you’re going through a difficult situation?
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