Final Portrait

Biography

My family originally settled in New Zealand form Scotland, Australia and England. My family name Laird comes from Scotland, where a Laird is part of the Scottish gentry. The word laird comes from the old Scottish word laverd meaning lord. The term acts more of a description for a position in society rather than a title.

I think I'm quite a reserved person, preferring to sit and listen than stand and shout. Favourite hobbies of mine include; gaming, anything from chess to video games, preferring a solitary experience to a social. I suppose I would also say I am an avid reader, and very picky with the subject matter, classical literature being among my favourite. I am a graphic design major however I find myself taking a range of subjects, in accordance with a my broad range of interests. This often results in graphic and typographic elements becoming apparent in my illustrative work, and vice versa.

Rationale

For my self-portrait I wanted to give a sense of alienation and show my reserved personality. To do this I am facing away from the viewer, disengaged, while reading a book. Whilst appearing uninterested I didn't want to give the impression that I was a hermit or completely reclusive. The book I am reading in the painting is Dale Carnegies How to Win Friends and Influence People, acts as a representation of how I tend to act in social situations, being more observant than partaking. Stylistically I wanted my painting to have a traditional aesthetic coming through with the use of texture in the brushes. The colour palette I used was based on the work of painter John Singer Sargent, overall being quite dark. This I felt suited my subject matter better than a more vibrant palette would have. The background of the painting is a typographic composition I made from the letters in my name.