Unfinished Marianne Portrait

the unfinished portrait of marianne (my grandmother), came entirely from memory and feeling. no photo, no reference—just me trying to hold onto a soft, strong presence. i wanted to show love, warmth, welcoming. a little innocence too. not the wide-eyed kind, but the gentle kind. the kind that lets you sit next to it quietly and still feel seen.

i use black in every piece now. i used to try not to, but now it’s like ehhh fuck iiiiit. i outline in black a lot, shadow with it too. shadows need that kind of darkness. there’s depth in contrast. jewel tones, deep colors with a touch of light or gray—that’s my palette. i like contrasts.

i don’t leave white space if i can help it. even in little toon-style drawings, i want something going on in the background. something light, even watery. the shapes in this one are simple, but the feeling behind them isn’t. it’s soft. it’s personal. and it’s exactly how i wanted her to feel.