"Red Smile" is a piece I completed as an assignment in my painting class. Ever since I was kid, I have always loved clowns, so I wanted the central theme of my current paintings to revolve around them. Portrait work is not really by strong suit, however for this being my first portrait, I think it turned out really well. The assignment was to create a painting that appeared to have been weathered and broken down. To achieve this, I applied wet newspaper on the background to give it a 3d texture around the edges. There was really no initial deeper meaning behind the painting, but the sorrowful expression of the boy's face and the dark background contrasts with the theatrical, cheerful spirit of clowns, revealing that one hides their true character behind that painted smile.