Rihanna (Fall '23 Study)
Ballpoint pen on paper

This Rihanna portrait came out of what I’d call my Fall 2023 portrait run—the stretch where I was drawing faces consistently and trying to get more intentional about choices instead of just copying a photo.

I loved this reference image because it’s not the usual “pretty” pose. It’s guarded, a little confrontational, and still stylish as hell. The angle is doing a lot: chin up, eyes off to the side, that sense that you’re catching a moment you weren’t invited into. That’s what I wanted—to capture something different. Not just Rihanna as an icon, but Rihanna as presence.

This one is really about contrast and texture. The ballpoint crosshatching lets the shadows feel heavy without getting muddy, and the lighter areas stay clean enough to keep the face readable. I also liked pushing the details that help the portrait feel personal—lashes, lips, the wrap, the jewelry—then anchoring it all with the tattooed hand so the whole piece has attitude and weight.

To me, this is one of those drawings where the mood landed. It feels like a snapshot with teeth.

-PERSONAL COLLECTION-