Playing to Learn

This was some play yesterday and today based on a photo (in the center) from a recent British Vogue magazine edition.  

It seemed perfect for experimenting with drawing the image on black paper (to represent skin color) followed by doing it on white paper.  It was so interesting and challenging--trying to convey light areas of the dark skin on that dark paper.  The paper itself absorbed much of the lighter diluted paint and pen color that was added in the effort to lighten areas.  

On the other hand, the white paper was easier to convey/suggest shape and body position versus skin color.  To add appropriate color/shading would have taken much more time and effort because the photo itself is not defined enough to see all the pertinent edges.

It is edges that are important in defining shape, position, movement, etc.  Without them, there is blurring and some imagery becomes distorted or takes on the look of an optical illusion.  Do you think the photographer of the original image intended for a sense of optical illusion?