An Exceptional Way to Create a Portrait
I created this fictional portrait in an exceptional way, like experimenting. It took an unexpected and exciting turn. It started with light ink sketches of a set of still objects and drew five pieces for them from five different angles. After cutting them out, I began rearranging the pieces like a puzzle, trying to see if something new would emerge from the fragments. The whole process felt like I was revealing hidden images, it needed my imagination to add on(it would be easier to see something when your eyes are half-closed). Suddenly, new shapes and ideas came to life before me.
One particular arrangement caught my attention—it resembled the king from a deck of playing cards. I followed that lead and began sketching the profile of a man, adding a mustache to complete the look. But then, something surprising happened. As I drew fuller lips, the figure started to change, and before I realized it, the man had transformed into a woman. The shift felt so natural that I embraced it, giving her soft, feminine features, expressive eyes, and a romantic hairstyle.
The ink I used for this piece was Moon Palace Sumi(Amazon), a renowned high-quality Japanese brand, which you can buy on Amazon. I’ve been using it since elementary school for my Chinese calligraphy homework. It has a smooth texture and no unpleasant smell, and the most magical part is the way the colour shines once it dries.
Using this ink was a lot of fun, especially experimenting with the different rendering effects. The most challenging part of the process, though, was controlling the ink’s flow. If I wanted to add darker layers, I had to be patient and wait for each layer to dry first. It added an extra layer of complexity to create surprising results!
This ladybug is originally a basket that stayed on the woman’s nose, perfectly matching the floral background. Since my skills are still developing, I applied a lot of ink to it, but the colour didn’t darken as much as I expected. That is what I mentioned above you need to wait for it to dry before adding another layer. However, the darkness turned out to be just right! If there were a more obvious contrast, it would compete visually with the woman.
Unexpectedly, the entire layout reminded me of Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s famous artwork, ‘Spring’ (1573)(Louvre) .He was known for creating imaginative portraits made entirely out of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books.
By the time I finished, the portrait had taken on a life of its own, as if the final image had always been there, waiting to be uncovered. That unexpected twist made the process feel more like a discovery than just a creation—and I loved every moment of it.