When I decide to do a portrait of someone, I have certain personal “rules” or criteria for deciding who my subject will be. I will do portraits of (1) a really great person I admire; (2) a really stunning or interesting image; (3) someone I really want to draw because the person is a good friend or is an interesting subject; or (4) a commissioned work. So far, I have done the following portraits: Obama (reason 1), Ellen de Generes (reason 1), Drew Barrymore (reason 2), Mandela (reason 1), my sister (reason 3), a holocaust survivor (reason 2), and myself (3.5 = I’m my own best friend and it’s sort of a “commission”–done for an exhibit.

Nelson Mandela

9″x12″, pencil on paper

© cindy lapeña, 2014

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