Adobe Illustrator Self Portrait

For this portrait I have decided upon a more realistic approach. I have used the pen tool to create shapes that make up the vector art. The use of pink for my face is perhaps more unrealistic however it represents me as it is my favourite colour. I have used multiple shades and variations of the same colour in order to create shadows within the hair, clothes and skin. I wanted this to look realistic with a touch of my own personal style. For the background I have chosen to do a plaid technique. I lowered the opacity of the deep red to create the darker boxes where the lines cross over. The pink and white background was done purposefully as it complements the darker tones of my portrait. The use of a little strawberry icon is personal to me as I love strawberries and even grow them on my allotment.

For my portrait I was inspired by stained glass art, for example the intricate work of Marc Chagall. “People are drawn to Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows because of their intense color and the emotional connection they feel” (Martin Faith, 2024) and I utilised a variety of colours and patterns to create this piece as I wanted to create a clear unique identity for this portrait so like Chagall, I have used a deep blue background which the use of the stars is personal to me as I love stars and enjoy stargazing. I have created a variety of different shapes through the pen tool to create the finished piece. I have chosen the pink and purple hair specifically as they are my favourite colours and represent me as a person. The green t shirt works as great contrast to the rest of the portrait. I purposefully chose the variety of shades of each colour to complement each other. The stained-glass aspect works as both a realistic and abstract piece of artwork.

This is the piece of stained glass by Marc Chagall that inspired my portrait due to the vibrant blues.