As one moves along their journey in life, one may occasionally feel it's necessary to test oneself. To see what they are truly capable of if they put their maximum effort into something. To make something that expresses the full extent of their abilities. A piece to represent the culmination of their current progress. My friends, this was my objective with this portrait. To see what I can do NOW, with all I have learned. Two ish years ago I set out to be able to realistically reproduce the human face and form, ultimately aiming at painting oil portraits ala Sargent with high accuracy and realism, but also to be able to create my own illustrations for a graphic novel idea I have. Many influences have guided me. I have synthesized many ideas. This is the result. Not Sargent for sure, and not comic book looking art at all, but some weird hybrid. A mutant version of classic portraiture and pop/graphic art. Let me tell you, this painting nearly broke me. But it didn't. Even though the challenge felt insurmountable, that I would never achieve the vision in my heart, I persevered. At one point I threw it in the trash. Another point I sprayed it with water and tried to wipe it away. I considered gessoing over it and starting from scratch. Yet still I kept after it. Obsessively. All day and most of the night, only taking breaks to eat and go to the restroom. What I turned out may not be great. It might not even be good when taking into consideration my overarching goals. But it's the absolute best I could do without going insane, and for that and the fact that I stuck it out, I am hugely proud. I feel like I'm starting to develop something of a personal style, too, which is neat. The journey may not always take you where you think you should go, but I find it usually always takes you where you need to be. Humphrey Bogart. Mixed media on illustration board.