Entry S
8.5″ x 11″, pencil on paper
The artist who has inspired me the most in my portrait sketches is my grandpa. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting by him at the kitchen table and trying to copy his own portrait drawings. His sketches absolutely fascinated me, and it was always my goal to one day be able to draw like him. He is where my love of art first began. The sketch I have entered is my first real attempt at a self-portrait, and I drew from a picture that was taken of me this past summer at the beach. Portraits have always been my favorite type of drawings for a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is because humans have been made in the image of God. Because we have been created after God’s likeness, I always feel that there is a deeper joy I get from drawing people than from drawing anything else in creation. To try to capture the likeness of different faces that have all been knit together by God is both challenging and rewarding. This particular picture is one of my favorites because it captures me at my very happiest: looking out at the ocean, with salty hair, burned cheeks, and more freckles than I can count.