My drawing “Ambiance of a Stranger” was created with the the portrayal of emotions through portraiture art. Being able to accurately portray each unique feature a person possesses is what attracts me towards portraiture art to begin with. I also am interested in the ability to portray a feeling through a drawing. By only rendering the face of the subject and leaving the surrounding page with an open—almost sketch-like—quality, I intended to portray how fleeting life can be. Drawing inspiration from portraits from the Renaissance era—specifically traits such as the lighting and the almost-nimbus symbol behind the subject—gives a feeling of timelessness, as well. It is impossible for us to remember every detail of everyday life, so leaving the viewer to fill in the unrefined areas of this drawing is reminiscent of that. My use of color distribution also portrays the feeling of a moment lost. However, I find we often do recall the ubiquitous details: emotion, color, energy. “Ambiance of a Stranger” invokes the feeling of recalling a memory that seems a little hazy around the edges.
