BUENA PARK
SELF PORTRAIT
Karla Ortiz
Idea: What should true equality look like in today’s world, and how might it shape the way young people understand themselves and their place in society, especially when they feel judged or held back by outdated social norms and expectations?
Materials: Prismacolor, white acrylic marker, and black ball point pen
Process: Selfie photograph, lightly builded up the Prismacolors mixing the primary hues to as accurately match the photo of myself as possible. The fine reflections and details I added at the end with pen and acrylic markers.
DEVOTED TO MASTERY
Francisco Ruiz
Idea: What do my dreams evoke to push my ambitions for success? Believing in my goals to own my own tattoo shop and making it a reality. Having a work ethic, practicing the craft to build strong skills, and relationships to grow my business.
Materials: Charcoal, graphite, photography
Process: Photograph of me working on a tattoo, charcoal full value range and enhance the intense mood and focus to build my craft.
2026 Drawing Gallery
WANDERING GAZE
Amelia Camareno
Idea: Attracting new opportunities isn't complicated; you just have to be open-minded. Like the girl, she is oblivious to the fish around her, longing for a glance. Opportunities are fulfilled once you are mindful of what you can achieve from devotion.
Materials: Scrapbook paper/Prismacolors/White gel pen
Process: Cut out the Prismacolor self-portrait & add collaged paper to the background for contrast, complementing the centerpiece. Then I added various lines that are both thick & thin to capture movement. Highlights are used to contrast light & dark.
FRAGMENTS OF HOPE
Genesee Lizbeth Ventura
Idea: How can we capture hope in the most challenging of times? The abyss and darkness in the background contrasts w/ the flowers and twinkle lights, as act of hope. Bad habits in relationships, society conflicts and overwhelmed feelings can consume us yet we can overcome and conquer.
Materials: Photography, Prismacolor
Process: Photographed a classmate with arranged props: lights, plants with glow on face. Illustrated skin tones by mixing primary hues. Move light and darkness throughout the piece to convey a mood that is dark and somber and colorful and hopeful contrast of emotions.
PURPOSE WITH DEVOTION
Mathew Christian Castro
Idea: My piece is a symbolic representation of how people can be saved from the darkness, mainly by following God. I myself was struggling with guilt and sin, and felt like I was lost, caught up in confusion, but through reconnecting with God, I feel calmer and free. The light represents the protection within God.
Materials: Prismacolor, pencil
Process: The general process was kind of tough, taking various photos and trying to pick one to draw as my final piece. It took some time to decide. I later blended the colors, layering various colors, and after everything was finished, I decided to add more depth by adding more pressure with the Prismacolors.
FLUTTERING FREEDOM
Monica Valle
Idea: How can determination symbolize freedom or failure? Determination is the firmness of purpose one holds. Butterflies represent freedom and transformation facing the flower scenery. The skeleton hand displays death, emphasizing duality of humans.
Materials: Prismacolor pencils, white gel pen, glue
Process: I took photos of myself in colorful lighting and then sketched onto paper. I then colored details, establishing value range, transition colors, and added details to flower and butterfly accents. Lastly, I cut paper pieces to create 3-dimensionality.
BLUE MOUNTAINS
Riley Sixbery
Idea: My Idea behind the work was the view from nature's mountains but in a monochromatic way.
Materials: Oil Pastels
Process: AMy thought process throughout the piece was more about the beauty of the mountains and how to encapture them in the right way, I enjoyed the challenge it gave me as I never really used oil pastels before.
IS IT A DREAM?
Alexandra Valencia
Idea: My piece is inspired by my favorite comic book, The Crow. I wanted to encapsulate the grief that haunts Eric, who blames himself for the death of his bride-to-be.
Materials: White gel pen, micron pens, paper
Process: I first made a pencil sketch, taking inspiration from various panels in the book, then went over everything in ink to get the final product.
FULLERTON UNION
TRANQUILITY
Riley Ridge-Clark
Idea: This was a piece I have been wanting to do for a while, but was unsure I could put onto paper what I had in mind. I had never done a full graphite drawing, and the idea was intimidating. However, we recently worked with charcoal pencils in class, and I gained a sense of confidence. In the end, I am glad I decided to push myself.
Materials: Graphite pencils
Process: I chose a picture that I took on my camera at Joshua Tree Lakes for my reference photo. I edited the photo to be in black-and-white, to make it easier to determine the values while drawing. From there I started following the reference closely, working on small pieces of the artwork at a time.
LA HABRA
PASTEL FRIENDS IN AN EMPTY WORLD
Geliana Tapia
Idea: To represent myself through the objects I picked
Materials: Pastels, china marker, pencil
Process: I first used the pastels as my base, then creating the images on top with regular pencil. When I was secure with what I liked, I began to use the china marker to create more value and weighted lines.
THE BENCH
Kash Madrigal
Idea: I took my reference picture at a lower angle to get foreshortening. I wanted to include some of the background and the bench. Of the different reference photos I took, I chose this one because I liked the perspective and level of details in the clothing and shoes.
Materials: Charcoal on paper
Process: I took multiple photos of my model at different angles and tried different poses. Then, after selecting which one to use, I created a grid on my paper to sketch it out and add the values and texture.
REACHING OUT
Keira Zeschuk
Idea: I wanted to convey the idea of reaching out for an idea or want that doesn't exist. By making the tree white, it hinted to nothing being there, even if the girl was grabbing onto it.
Materials: Charcoal on paper
Process: I started off by taking a picture of my firend, then printing it out in black and white. Then I drew a grid on my paper and the picture to get the proportions and lighting correct. After I outlined the figure, I shaded box by box until I was done.
CROSLEY
Zoey Briceno
Idea: My idea was to do something unique
Materials: Pastel and china marker.
Process: I wanted to do something old school and I picked the objects that reflect that, I tried to put as much effort, details, and capture the same angle as i can by using a china marker.
LA VISTA
CABANDON
Marley Sage Ocampo
Idea: A log cabin for art class. I honestly disliked the excessive details I wanted to add but liked the results.
Materials: Pencil and paper
Process: I started with basic shapes like a square and triangle, then went with the flow of whatever I thought I should add, I added a story behind it but that's determined by the lookers.
SONORA
A MEMORY OF LOYALTY
Kaelyn Darvin
Idea: My piece portrays Hachikō, the dog who waited daily for his late owner, as a symbol of enduring loyalty and the meaningful ways animals connect with human society. It reflects my deep admiration for animals and their emotional presence.
Materials: I began with a foundational sketch, then gradually developed the piece by layering the graphite from light to dark values, refining depth, texture, and form through controlled shading and blending.
VANITY FASHION COVER
Alexa Lopez
Idea: The idea for the cover was an exploration of textures and the re-interpretation of 1920's fashion covers, inspired by the work of Rene Gruau and adapting it to a modern aesthetic.
Materials: Pen and ink, tracing paper, sharpies, posca markers, color pencils and crayons.
Process: The process involved drawing with three different random drawing tools provided by the instructor then trying to use them in a creative way to draw the fashion cover.
THE KALEIDOSCOPE
Hallie Nakhla
Idea: I wanted to paint a frog, but I also wanted to make it look different and colorful. I wanted to make the background look like a forest while still incorporating the sectioned and vibrant idea.
Materials: Gouache and Paper
Process: I started with sectioning the paper and sketching the frog. I painted the frog with different shades of green and other cool colors, changing them according to the sectioning of the page. I painted the forest to look like a layered forest and mountain background using warm colors.
I’M HUNGRY
Daisy Najera
Idea: This piece is meant to highlight my best friend. While doing this, I also wanted to highlight her bright bubbly self by doing a colorful background with food, which I felt represented her very well.
Materials: Graphite and Crayons
Process: I first focused on the small parts of the face and then slowly brought them together so they would flow well. Then for the background I used bright colors to help my main piece pop out and highlight who she is.
WHAT IS GRIEF, IF NOT LOVE PERSEVERING?
Amy Ramirez
Idea: Marvel character Wanda Maximoff felt immense grief over love–a feeling that can’t be described, only felt. I felt this, and used her as my representation. I don’t intend to be descriptive with this piece, I just want you to look at it and feel.
Materials: Charcoal on Charcoal Paper
Process: Pouring my grief into this drawing with the face of Wanda Maximoff to represent me, I studied charcoal’s medium, then once I was confident I used it for this drawing as its dark colors captivate what this feeling would look like.
SUNNY HILLS
THE FOOL
Isabella Juliette Chavez
Idea: I expressed the emotion in my piece through the expressions and colors. Using a weeping face paired with a smiling one, the two bound to one body, forced to live an act called life, for even the deepest pain can be masked and painted over by a fool.
Materials: Oil Pastels, Acrylic Paint and Paint Markers.
Process: I used bright, exaggerated colors to show the emotional contrast between the facial expressions and the way the bright colors draw a person in. I intentionally added so many colors and added shiny spikes to make my piece pleasing to look at.
MIGHTY GUARDIAN
Izabel Vazquez
Idea: The idea behind my art piece is to portray a fantasy, mystical realm where a peaceful village is protected by a massive sea dragon, while floating islands crowned with royal castles hover above.
Materials: Pen, ink
Process: I am personally drawn to transcendental art that evokes mystery and a sense of adventure, which I aimed to convey through this piece by immersing the viewer in an imaginative world beyond reality.
A FORCED DIMPLE
Erin Kim
Idea: This piece looks back at my encounter with sexual harassment; particularly its continued effects. The forcefully stretched smile and stapled lip shows my imposed silence. The fading hand displays the lost details amidst its everlasting impact.
Materials: Graphite
Process: The passing of time was represented by the disintegration of the hand, and its lasting impact by the emphasis in the stretched cheek. I added staples to further depict my situation at the time. The dull colors exemplify my emotions.
NEVERMORE MANOR
Rylie Cortes
Idea: My drawing was very loosely inspired by the Addams family manor. I improvised features, like the bird, the gargoyle tower, and the snakes up the front pillars of the entrance hoping it would match my vision.
Materials: Pen, ink
Process: The process was not pretty, and definitely not smooth. I made two thumbnail sketches on the back of the paper, along with some practice sketches. I think my final piece is great, and one of my best I've created for Drawing & Painting class.
THE PRINCESS I NEVER WAS
Cassiah Medina
Idea: I used “The Princess and the Pea” to show the heavy expectations placed on me as a child. The whimsical lens reflects how young I was, while the story symbolizes the pressure of impossible standards that felt huge even when they seemed small.
Materials: Watercolor, Ink
Process: The pastel colors are usually associated with purity and childhood innocence, which is my biggest burden, and I chose to make it storybook-esque to reflect how young and childish I was despite feeling like I wasn't enough.
TWO WORLDS
Brighton Strobel
Idea: I knew I wanted to draw a city, but I didn’t want to do just one kind, so I decided to draw one location with a contrasting city under it. I also wanted to include a lively city with a few subtle hints of plant life.
Materials: Pen, ink
Process: After I had decided on what I wanted to draw I had to choose what my other city would be. I considered options like an apocalyptic city and an underwater one until I decided to draw a city in outer space.
TROY
WE LOOK AT YOU
Audrie Kim
Idea: Amid chaos and confusion—indicated by the busy setting—we seek the peace delivered by Jesus alone. We re-align our hearts, we turn to Him, and we find our countenances lifted as showing me and my friend in color. Choosing to look towards God in times of trouble sets Christians apart.
Materials: Charcoal, Colored Pencil
Process: I referenced a photo we took of my friend and I in Guatemala’s La Aurora International Airport during our very first mission trip. The two subjects are set in color, in contrast to the dark, monotonous background and the bustling crowd.
BEHIND THE TASSEL
Kayla Kim
Idea: This graduation cap clock symbolizes life as I graduating high school. This cap is also a mechanical device that made me realize how quickly time passes. The clock does not only represent the graduation, but the countless hours, memories, and efforts. Each gear and screw shows the moments, emotions, and relationships that shaped my school life.
Materials: Graphite, Charcoal
Process: I explored compositions that would showcase the graduation cap and the various clock components that would fit inside. Then, I sketched the clock components onto the graduation cap and used pencil and charcoal to create a deeper sense of movement and depth. Finally, I placed water droplets on top to represent the tears of my complex emotions.
COSMIC BEAUTY
Naomi Smith
Idea: My idea was to show how different ethnicities, social classes and styles are beautiful. I wanted to show beauty and a sense of wonder through the vibrant colors, self expression in the hair and details on the faces, and cosmic elements like stars, and swirls.
Materials: Prisma Colored Pencils
Process: I sketched out the images of what I was envisioning and wanted to portray. Then I used prisma colored pencils to add color to the whole piece and bring out the mood and personalities. Lastly, I added highlights with a white pencil to make the lighting stand out and bring more attention to the focal point.
ADORNED IN PEARLS
Naomi Smith
Idea: My idea was to emphasize how we dress ourselves in jewelry to try and be someone we really aren't. The pearls represent the idea of jewelry being a luxury, and the struggle to find yourself trapped within that expectation of being in another social class. In the end style can be anything you want it to be and "be yourself".
Materials: Oil Pastel, Prisma Color
Process: The hands piece was sketched out by looking at my hands, then I colored in with prisma colors, and highlighted with a white pencil. The face piece was sketched out, colored with oil pastels, and metallic oil pastels over top for highlights.