the story

In the class ARTSTUDI 139: Portraiture and Facial Anatomy for Artists, I had the immense privilege of spending my afternoons in Stanford's CCSR (Center for Clinical Sciences Research) Dissection Lab. My first main piece for this class was a cadaver portrait, which I at first found rather daunting but grew to enjoy immensely.

Through this piece, I wanted to bring out the tranquility and gentleness of what could be thought of as an otherwise unsettling situation: for many, the first time viewing a cadaver in person. I was particularly taken by the cadaver's skin shape and texture, especially in how it added to the visual effect of sleeping. In exploring the different options for rendering skin texture, I decided to represent the top half of the face in charcoal and the bottom half in graphite, with a particular focus on capturing the shadows on the skin and the almost cloth-like quality, which is reflected in the sketchy cloth that the cadaver rests upon.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to have worked in such close proximity with this cadaver, and through this experience have taken to heart the humility needed to truly respect and honor a portrait subject.