The Untouchable Doll: A Junior Self-Portrait Illustration by Melanie Hugoo (2011)

The main idea behind my illustration is that I am the type of person that doesn't let other people step all over me. This can be positive because I don't get hurt or disappointed easily, but it can also be negative because it makes it very hard for me to trust others and open up to them. I tried to portray this in my illustration by making myself be a collector's doll. This doll is trapped in a display box because I don't let people in easily, which gives the impression that everything is perfect on the outside, even when it's not. The girl I drew is there to show that the doll is useless because she isn't able to play with it, which is why she is just laying there looking at it. In the end, the doll stays flawless, but it turns into a negative thing since she isn't able to trust others.