Greetings, everyone
This is my entry to 's Contest: Selfie on a Paper
This is the first time I do a self-portrait. I had drawn myself before, sort of, in rushed sketches, but this is the first time I try to capture my likeness
I kind of cheated, though. I found myself drawing a healthier, fatter version of my present self.
The Process
I started with some basic shapes and delineated the torso.
I added some more details in the texture of the polo-shirt and the main areas of the head to have an idea of where ears and eyes would be.
The eyes are usually the hardest part for me, so I left them for the end. I used to have a big smile all the time. So much so that there was this lady in my town, Sara, who called me risita (giggle). She used to tell me she had never seen me angry. She would be very disappointed if she saw me now, usually tired-looking and with lots of anger repressed.
Some features do not quite fit, but it was fun. I am not the selfie kind of guy. I actually have done only a few for my posts. My wife usually complains that I don't like to take selfies.
I applied a darker pencil and some editing on the phone and this is it! I think that the selfie has been overdone by this social-media-generation. I feel very concerned when I see young kids taking pictures in front of the mirror for no reason. I guess there's a psychological explanation for that, but that would would be the subject of another post. I thought about their preocupation with self-image as I worked on this drawing and I confirmed my assumption. We want to look our best, especially when others will be judging, but we should not get obssessed with that. There are more pressing things these days.
If wanting to be better on the outside contributes to improving our innner selves, then I'd welcome selfies as personal growth tool. If it does not help that way, then I'll only consider it for special occasions and artistic pusuits. Thank you, , for this thought-provoking contest.
