Self Portrait, graphite in sketchbook, 5/17/09
This is my most accurate self portrait, at least to how I look in the mirror. I really tried to get the proportions right, and I even drew in my unusual (and not matching) eyes. I started it late at night and stayed up so late working on it that I had trouble staying awake. I finished it up the next day, and am generally pleased with how it came out. I have mixed feelings about the lighting though. I drew it from a photo I took of myself in my bedroom with only an overhead light, hence the odd shadows. I think it makes me look a little moody or depressed or something. This was not how I was feeling at all though. In fact, I was feeling really inspired and energetic.
This was the first drawing that I made without using my favorite 2B pencil. It had grown so short that I could no longer insert it into my pencil sharpener. And it wouldn’t fit into my pencil extender, so I couldn’t use it anymore. I have another 2B now of the same brand (Derwent), but doesn’t feel as smooth and I’m not used to having something so long in my hands!
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