My beginning drawing classes at the University of Texas at El Paso and New Mexico State University have just ended. Most of my beginning students want to draw portraits. In this project they represent themselves beyond a mere likeness. They learn the proportions and structure of the head and add conceptual underpinnings to make it more interesting. A few did exceptionally well.
Roxana Sifuentes excels at the portrait and this self portrait is no exception. Her sketchbook was filled with many such portraits of herself, her sister and other family and friends.
We live in the desert and often have brutal dust storms. Genoveva Fuentes conceived of herself with her hair turning to sand. While you might not get the sand reference without explanation, it is a good likeness of this thoughtful and talented artist.
Noelle Dorrance from New Mexico State University is a conservation major and did this beautiful portrait of herself with Cleopatra eyes and cracks in her face. She’ll soon know how to repair them under the capable tutelage of Sylvia Marinas, head of the NMSU conservation program.
The last is Jennifer Salas whose ambition is to work for Pixar. She’s well on her way.
What do you think about their work? Who is your favorite portraitist?