Beneath The Surface

This self-portrait draws inspiration from 1940s film noir photography, a style known for its dramatic low-key lighting and striking contrast in both photography and cinematography. To recreate this effect, Edward positioned a handheld light in front of him at a low setting, then refined multiple photographs in Photoshop by enhancing the brightness and contrast. In this drawing, Edward captured his sincere expression, dressed in a white dress shirt and a satin black bowtie. Using graphite pencils, charcoal sticks, and ink, he gradually built up rich dark tones while allowing the white of the paper to create illumination.