Back in the day, I used to LOVE drawing portraits. But then I went to fancy art school and they worked me to death, so I took what turned into a 10 year break from drawing. Years later, I realize, it’s true: “Use it or lose it.” :(

OMG…it’s Sherrie G!. Pencil. June 2011
There was much cursing involved while I worked on this portrait. Why oh why, didn’t I ask her to take her glasses off?! I actually show up in the original reflection of her glasses, so I had to carefully edit myself out. Thank you, Sherrie, for posing (twice!) and allowing me to attempt to capture the awesomeness that is your lovely face.

Emerson Bantegui: WTF. Pencil. February 2011
My love for drawing (and making) faces, continues. I took note one day of my (then) coworker’s awesome “WTF?!” face and it has inspired me to attempt a series of portraits featuring facial expressions based on text and IM acronyms. Thank you, Emerson, for allowing me to take a photograph of you. Little did you know what mischievous plans I had in mind at the time. I hope I did your magnificent hair justice.

Self-portrait: \m/. Pencil. October 2009
I normally hate self-portraits (Because who likes staring at themselves for hours?! Not me, thank you very much), but this one was kind of fun. I’ve discovered they’re a lot more tolerable when I get to make goofy faces. Of course, this means drawing super fast (I can’t keep my face like that for hours!) or that I have to work from a photograph. In this case, it was the latter.

Boy. Pencil. 2009 (I think)
A random kid I drew. I probably became disinterested in the midst of sketching, which is why it’s unfinished. That happens a lot, unfortunately.

Random Dude. Pencil. 2009 (I think)
He kind of looks like Dominic Monaghan. Maybe I was watching Lost when I sketched this? Hmmm...

Mr. Horn. Charcoal. Sometime back in high school...
The dean of my high school. He posed for our AP Art class one fine day. I wasn’t the sort of kid that spent a lot of time in the dean’s office, and therefore able to complete an elaborate sketch of him! Although, that probably would’ve made for a more interesting blurb.