The inquiry driving my investigation is “How does the use of black and white convey a sense of nostalgia?”. When first beginning this investigation, I was very set on an idea of using newspapers to emphasize the black and white nostalgic feel I was trying to encompass in my work. As I became more comfortable working with charcoal, I realized that this was not necessary in answering my questions, and was dating my work to a time of newspapers that is not relevant to life today. As my work focuses on the high school experience and the memories we carry from the people who surround us at this time, I decided to begin experimenting with focusing on bringing more life to my subjects rather than focusing on secondary aspects of the drawings such as the newspaper clippings I was originally using. Through shifting this focus, I have been able to stray away from relying heavily on lines and mark making, to utilizing loose charcoal, blending, and layering to create realistic dimensions  that bring life to the people who have brought so much life to me over the past four years. I have also worked throughout the year to stray away from relying on solely copying a photo. While keeping a realistic element is still important to me and the style of my artwork, I have practiced to be able to feel confident working free of photos and learning to adapt based on my own vision and understanding of my subject. I took a risk on this portfolio by using a medium, charcoal, that I was not very familiar with. My portfolio as a whole serves as an example of experimentation, and the effect that practice has on one's skill and development. Through playing with different styles I have learned how to manipulate one material in a variety of ways. This experimentation has also allowed me to approach revision in a new way. Rather than viewing it as a negative setback to my work, this process has taught me that the best results come from the works where I have allowed myself to struggle and work through new setbacks.