My PSA is of an Indian girl staring at herself in a mirror in a bathroom, putting on lipgloss. However, her reflection isn't really of herself- it's her, but white. This piece is inspired by the feelings of inferiority that often comes with being Asian-American because of the media's lack of authentic Asian representation. Oftentimes the media portrays Asian people as geeky and socially inept, and they're never really seen as popular, charming, or beautiful. I had the girl in the piece putting on lipgloss to defy that stereotype of Asians being considered unattractive and geeky.
This piece was made in Adobe Illustrator. I took a photo of my sister in our bathroom putting on lipgloss, and brought the photo into the program. I primarily used the pen tool, so I could get the accurate proportions and shapes from the photo. I changed a lot of the colors that were originally in the photo to fit the style of the illustration. The background was particularly difficult and more time consuming. I specifically had a hard time with the glass shower doors, as it was difficult to get the glassy looking effect. I spent a lot of time finding the right colors, and playing with different opacities in order to get that effect. I really enjoyed creating this piece and am inspired to continue creating more pieces in this style about topics I am equally passionate about.
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