Distracted Kitty: A Junior Self-Portrait Illustration by Adam Poltorak (2012)

My illustration piece I have created in my Design class develops the topic of my paranoia. I am communicating the internal and external conflicts I face on a daily basis. My internal conflict is paranoia, and my external conflict is being ignored. I have a paranoia of being ignored by people. I am constantly seeking other people's assurance by checking my looks in a mirror or reflective object . I feel that my appearance has a direct correlation to my acknowledged presence. I spend so much time worrying about my appearance and whether people pay attention to me or not that I don't see the important things that are around me. My artistic envision came from wanting to express the conflict I deal with in my life. The piece is a reminder of what I need to improve socially and that I need to work on my self-confidence.

The technical process involves using Photoshop installed on Mac computers in Freestyle. I faced difficulties in making perfect tracing around the cat and making it reflect in the mirror. I used the pen tool in photoshop to trace photos on the internet that fit my illustration. I faced a challenge in creating a 3D room environment that portrayed a sense of isolation. I used images of 3D rooms and composed a drawing overlay that fit the dimensions I wanted. This piece deeply represents my external and internal conflicts and did all of that using the fantastic pen tool in Photoshop. I think that is phenomenal.