The lights are dimmed and senior Mia Arias is seated comfortably on her bed. Sketchbook in hand, the only sound in the room is the scratching of her Prismacolor pencils as she creates the portrait of an old man.
Arias’s artwork reflects realism, an art style that depicts everyday subjects in an authentic and detailed way. As a former AP (Advanced Placement) Studio Art student and current AP Art History student, she makes the most of pursuing art at Walnut. She particularly enjoys drawing facial features and highlighting the distinctive qualities in people’s faces.
“I enjoy drawing wrinkles and imperfections when drawing faces because it makes people look like they have life in them. I think everyone’s wrinkles tell a story and it’s fun to capture that,” Arias said. “I try to focus on the eyes and certain parts of their face to make them look more alive and present”
Inspiration for her art can come in many forms, such as scrolling through Pinterest or when she is taking photos with her family. Most often, the only medium she uses is a pencil. When transferring her ideas to paper, she adds her touches of creativity after noticing things she would want to change. Drawing provides her relief, the time to unwind and opportunity to let her creative mind wander.
“I feel that I’m a very fast-paced person, and I always need to be actively doing things,” Arias said. “It’s nice to be able to just sit down in silence and be able to create whatever [occurs] in my mind.”
Arias developed an interest for drawing during quarantine, finding inspiration from other artists on TikTok. Before coming to Walnut her junior year, she attended The School of Arts and Enterprise in Pomona for one year and gained valuable insights for her works.
“My art teacher taught us that there was no bad art and no such thing as a mistake in art,” Arias said. “Hearing that made me more confident in my abilities and encouraged me to draw more because I had trouble accepting when my art didn’t look exactly like a picture.”
Wishing to take her art skills to a higher level, Arias transferred to Walnut. During her junior year, she enrolled in AP Studio Art taught by Michelle O’Shields and learned new skills such as perspective and how to utilize acrylic paint to draw backgrounds in her work.
“Mia painstakingly figures out details and has a really good grasp of value,” O’Shields said. “Looking at her work, you get very interested because there’s lots of detail going on—just really nice value—and it makes you stop to check it out or find interest in it.”
Those who know her well, or even those who have only recently met her, can recognize her dedication to her craft almost immediately.
“It’s easy to see when she loves to do something—and with drawing, she’s very observant and is always drawing things around her,” Arias’s friend, senior Allison Munoz said. “I only just recently met her, but it’s really cool to see her talent.”
Nowadays, Arias especially enjoys sharing her art, whether that be through gifting her pieces or posting on her Instagram account, @mia._.art2.
“I like to express myself and have people see that. When it comes to art, I really do like having that attention and being like, ‘Hey, this is what I drew,” Arias said. “A couple of times, people have even messaged me asking for me to draw gifts for their family members.”
Arias hopes to go into the education field and is considering becoming an art teacher and if not, teaching art on the side. Through her niece, she has already been able to experience the joys of teaching art to others.
“My niece enjoys drawing and often asks me how to draw certain things—usually unicorns and stuff—but it’s fun to teach her how to do basic little things,” Arias said. “Drawing is our own special little thing because no one else in my family likes to draw like us.”
Arias spends a significant amount of her time drawing people and searching for ideas all around, which in return has broadened and shaped her admiration for the diversity in our world.
“[My hobby] has helped me appreciate different cultures and styles and all sorts of different faces,” Arias said. “Now, I genuinely believe everyone is beautiful in their own way—and I think a lot of that [mindset] has come from drawing faces over and over.” Ω
