I draw to create something real, something that speaks to me, and to others. I tend to make the focus of my drawings eyes, and it seems to be a very successful way in grasping the attention of the viewer. I've never really been "trained" or "taught", although a couple classes here and there have enabled me to open up to new ways of doing thing...I honestly think that the best way to learn technique is to study the work of pros. I usually just draw portraits because that's what I am best at, but I am starting to open up to different mediums. I've been drawing portraits seriously (meaning on a regular basis with the goal in mind to create a finished work to be proud of) since I was about 14 (I am now going on 21). I am now venturing in to commissions, and my biggest hurdle is that of my own determination (in other words sometimes I don't want to start a portrait because I don't think I will have the drive to finish it).

People have asked me why I like to draw celebrities, because some of them see it as selling out. I started out as drawing magazine pictures...this were easy to find, I had a lot to choose from, and I at that point I didn't feel right about the possibility of butchering a star's face on paper...if I was going to draw someone recognizable I was going to do just that, and only that. So when I was ready to take on the challenge of complete accuracy I turned to drawing celebrities. Angelina Jolie was my first drawing in that class, and since then I've notice an IMMENSE improvement. Just the fact that I knew I had to draw it right or someone would look at it and say "that looks nothing like them". I see a lot of artists get tons of props for those kinds of drawings...because they are drawn WELL but look like somebody else...and it drives me CRAZY!

But back to the point. I also choose to draw celebrities occasionally because they are masters of capturing emotion in a single stillshot. That is what they do...they create a feeling, they are actors, and most of them are good at what they do. People relate to them, people respect them, people look up to them, and I want people to interact with my drawings in the same way. I want to incapsulate a moment, or a feeling, or a look...and I want you to be impressed .