Creating self portraits and portraits is an exhilarating, frightening, fun and an introspective process for me. From reading the facial expressions, analyzing the forms and colors to sketching the shadows forming on the face, the process is dynamic.

While sketching self portraits there is this one recognizable feature present in all the sketches like a strand of hair in front of the face, bold black glasses resting on the nose or asymmetric eyebrows which stand out. Self portraits are a form of self expression and I tend to question myself ‘Is this how I see myself?’ or ‘how does the world see me?’.

While sketching portraits I try to apply minimalism in terms of strokes and shading to not overdo it. My main goal while sketching portraits is to capture that one expression on paper and captivate the viewer with it.

Learning about the form of the human body and realizing the curves and skeletal features formed at different parts was the third part of the exercise. Studying human anatomy and postures was intriguing because I observed minute details like lines, curves, and undulations formed. The process was quick and almost liberating.