Mike would hurt himself (presumably) when he was frustrated. Although at one point in his diagnostic journey, doctors thought he was Tourretic and his hitting himself and biting his hand was nothing more than a ‘complex motor tick‘. Whether Mike had Tourette Syndrome because those responsible for his care could not suggest a plan to reduce his self harming behavior if it wasn’t a behavior at all, but rather an involuntary motor tic. I did notice, in Mike’s later years, that he harmed himself less frequently. I was happy about that.

In this sketch, I was hoping to flood the image made by (what I thought was) a water soluble ink pen, to add blur to emphasize Mike’s violent attack on himself. However, I unknowingly used a brush I hadn’t properly cleaned. Add to that the water-fastness of the inked image, I was left with a yellow-tinted face and hand. I made the background grey. I like the contrast.

Please visit my Etsy shop for my artwork for sale inspired by my autistic brother Mike at: 

https://autisminspiredart.etsy.com

My other artwork for sale is at: 

https://otherartbyjack.etsy.com