Critique

        The artist that I took inspiration from is Paul Evans. I couldn't find his birthday, but he currently lives in Cork, Ireland. He posts his work on Instagram, which is what initially caught my attention (He was listed under "things you might like"). I was captivated by his portraits, particularly the ones I've posted above. Although I cannot currently work with colored pencils quite as realistically as he can, I want to work towards it, which is why I chose him as my inspiration.

        I used colored pencil to create this work. First, I sketched a light outline in pencil of the wires of the tunnel and my features. Working from left to right, I then covered the tunnel in a heavy layer of blue pencil. After completing that layer, I covered it in an equally heavy layer of white pencil. After that, I blended the two with baby oil (it works best when there is a really think layer of pencil on the paper already). I then went back over it in a darker blue and the...

Critique

        ...lighter blue and white I had used earlier to create the folds of fabric. I did the same for myself, but used a different order of colors.

        This particular piece is a portrait of me when I was about three or four years old. I was playing in the basement of our old house in East Peoria in one of those plasticky nylon blue play tunnels. If you can't tell by now, I love doing portraits of childhood memories. I chose this picture because it reminds me of the imagination I had as a child; I could just get lost in stories of adventure and bravery, especially since we had such a large backyard. I loved to build forts out of pillows and tents, and creating a picture of it really took me back there.

        I used the elements of space and texture while completing this work; I tried to portray the silky texture of the tunnel I'm laying in, as well as the space behind me as the tunnel grows smaller. I also used the principles of emphasis and rhythm. I tried to put an emphasis on myself, as the main focus point; and created rhythm in the folds of the fabric of the tunnel.