This is the final round of my art competition, and the setup is straight-up cinematic: 90 minutes to recreate a live model posing alongside a skeleton. No restrictions, total creative freedom, and it’s the last chance to show what your style actually looks like under pressure. I went with oil paint because it’s what I’m most comfortable with, and with a scene this complex I knew I needed a medium that lets me stay in control while I push refinement—especially in the portrait. My main focus was the figure, because that’s the subject that carries the read. The skeleton was still important, but I treated it more like an ominous presence—like that hand over the shoulder fading back, instead of me trying to render every bone perfectly. Halfway through, I was locked in on making the suit work: wrinkles popping while everything is basically dark-on-dark. When the timer ended, I felt good about the choice—rare, because I’m usually super self-critical. The big takeaway is that even when it’s “representational,” the skills are there to tell a story and connect with people, and that’s what wins these battles.