Entry N – 2nd Place Winner
25″ x 19″
White pencil on black drawing paper
My white pencil drawing is a self portrait of myself in dramatic lighting. The white charcoal on black paper was chosen to highlight the emotions of the face and to not distract the viewer with the background. The eyes are shrouded in shadow to ensure the viewer’s attention stays on the face as a whole. I took great inspiration from French photographer Claude Gassian as he truly understands the use of shadow to highlight the emotions rather than physical features. I additionally took inspiration from Gustave Courbet, specifically his self portrait titled The Desperate Man. Gustave’s piece truly connects inward thought and outward expression.