Close to 60 Woodstone Elementary School students and teachers took home a stunning portrait of themselves on the last day of school. The artist behind each creation is Brian Rich, the Special Education Assistant on campus. The five-month project started as a personal challenge and quickly turned into a passion project.
“Usually, when I sit down and draw something, it’s to see if I can do it,” said Rich. “Just working with the kids, I noticed how they all had their little quirks. They’re little characters.”
Drawing is more than a hobby for Rich. It’s a lifelong passion. He has years of experience drawing professionally at LucasArts, a video game company owned by Star Wars creator, George Lucas, and several Nickelodeon cartoons, including the Rugrats movies.
Rich considered the Woodstone portraits as an opportunity to perfect an already refined skillset.
“Once I caught their face, I had to catch the pose that captured the character of the kids. Then I’d come up with their costuming and the interesting t-shirts that are part of their personality. A lot of girls come in with a different hairstyle every day, so I had to find the one that fit them.”
The result speaks for itself. And it’s a gift every student will cherish for the rest of their life.
