A series of portraits inspired by my mother’s high school yearbook. This project was an experiment in character development and worldbuilding, using the act of drawing as a driving force in building a narrative. My drawing process is greatly informed by a workshop with Wilfrid Wood last year, in which he spoke of capturing a person’s energy by finding their defining feature and exaggerating it. This doesn’t always guarantee a perfect likeness, it does however make for more interesting portraits. I often do two to three preparatory drawings for each character, searching for the features that make them stand out. Once identified I work, not from the original source material, but instead from my initial drawings to draw out more personality from the character. The complete collection of portraits along with yearbook entries can be found on the publication table in the exhibition.