This portrait of my friend Thao My is made out of charcoal on paper. I took a picture of her as my reference, and used my phone’s flashlight inside my closet for the more dramatic lighting. This piece was made as a gift for Thao My as a symbol of our friendship, since we’ve been best friends with each other since elementary school, both sharing the passion for art. I also just happen to think she’s overall very photogenic. The colors are monochromatic because of the charcoal, and I decided to give the background an aura like appearance to not distract the viewer too much, making this piece more simplistic.