
For my hair, I chose to use parabolas to recreate the shape of the top of my head, and I graphed a wide parabola for the ends of my hair to give it some more shape and detail. I made it a wide parabola by making the coefficient of x a small fraction. I did the opposite for the face shape: I made the y value have a coefficient of a fraction to create an oval shape. The eyes are also ovals, but the x value has a fraction coefficient to make the shape slimmer and wider. This adds another element of realism. However, the pupils and irises are perfect circles and they line up with the oval eyes. I used radical functions rather than parabolic functions for the front pieces of my hair. This way, I didn’t have to add in additional inequalities to my functions because the restriction that the value in the radical must be greater than zero already restricts my domain, creating my hair part. The other non-parabolic functions I used were the basic lines: I used lines for my nose, my mouth, and my eyebrows. This was so that the art would have more distinct, solid lines, to plainly show what part of my face is what. It was especially essential for the shape of the eyebrows, as it made them more sharp and executed. For my lips, I used a couple different parabolas and straight line. The top middle parabola is specifically to resemble my cupid’s bow, because I thought that would be a nice detail to add. It also makes the drawing look less fake and more like a human face.
I added another level of depth by including a small acne scar on this self portrait (under the right eye). This is a reflection of my identity and my willingness to include many different layers of my perception of myself. I also added eyelashes and eyelids to the eyes. The reason I wanted to do this was because my eyes are one of my favourite features, and they tell a lot about what a person is feeling or thinking, so I felt it was important to highlight that by adding some extra elements. I also varied the thickness of the eyelashes to show further depth and realism. I included another aspect of my identity by adding blush to my cheeks. This is meant to represent the makeup and beauty industry, because makeup is such a universal experience when a girl is growing up. Putting on makeup is something that many people choose to do or not do, and I wanted to feature that decision on this portrait. Finally, I showed an extensive skill because I researched and taught myself how to program different colours into my portrait. I figured out that this can be done by finding out the ‘colour codes’ for different colours (the red, green, and blue values of each colour) and insert it by selecting a new function and letting a variable equal that colour code. For example, s=rbg(255,255,255) is the colour white. This was a fun way for me to achieve the most realistic colours I could, and let me have a bit more creative fun with the project. I shared this discovery with my peers by posting a simple, step-by-step guide on how to program new colours.



