Assignment 3

 Sketches:

Final Portrait:

Inspiration and creative process:

These three artists, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Egon Schiele were my main inspirations in the creative process behind my self-portrait. I did not want to go so literal in creating a self-portrait, as a drawn image of my face can only tell you so much about my character and it does not leave as much room for the type of self-expression I favor.

I wanted my self-portrait to paint a picture of me, not in the blatant “this is what I look like” way, but in an artistic interpretation of who I am as a person type of way. I knew from the get-go I wanted to replicate Basquiat’s heavy-handed linework, and use of unnatural symbols such as text boxes and star-like shapes. I also wanted to include the vagueness of Kusama’s face, as it only gives the impression of her looks, not a direct line. I also enjoyed Schiele’s emphasis on the face and hands, leaving the clothing much less detailed. I decided to add the things that I enjoyed from these artists to my own work in graphite on paper and drew myself. I decided to add my nervous system as a second entity in the drawing, to represent the fact I am a very logic-driven person, but also because the fact I have neurological issues plays a major role in my life, and is a huge part of me as a person as it affects everything I do. My face is drawn vaguely, as my most recognizable traits aren’t really my face, but my skunk-colored hair and large glasses.