Student Artwork Inspired by the novel "One of Us Is Lying" by Karen M. McManus

19/05/2026

My artwork is based on the novel One of Us Is Lying. I wanted to focus on the mystery surrounding Simon’s death and especially on the four main suspects and their secrets. At the top of the drawing, I wrote “One of Us is” in white because I wanted a strong contrast against the black background. The word “Lying,” however, is written in red. I chose red because all of the secrets and lies connected to the suspects are also written in red later in the artwork, so it creates a visual connection throughout the piece.

In the center of the drawing, I placed Simon. He is wearing a blindfold over his left eye with the words “Omniscience Narrator” written on it, because that is how he describes himself at the beginning of the book. Around his neck, I drew a rope. Even though Simon did not actually die by hanging himself, I used the rope to symbolise his suicide because I felt that peanuts or peanut oil would not have fit the overall aesthetic of the artwork. I only showed his upper body, neck, head, and hands because I did not think the rest of his body was important for the composition. His hands are very important, though, because I drew them like the hands of a puppeteer. My original idea was to make Simon control the four suspects like puppets, but I later removed that idea because the figures became too small and overcrowded. In the end, I also realised that Simon does not truly manipulate them directly, but instead causes suspicion to fall onto them. Simon’s icy blue eyes are inspired by the description in the
book, while the rest of his appearance, like his light brown hair, came from my own imagination to create more visual variety between the characters.

The first suspect I drew was Nate. I posed him like someone taking a mugshot because I wanted to represent his stereotype as the “criminal.” At first, I gave him an orange prison jumpsuit, but later I changed it into his leather jacket because that is much more connected to his character in the book. He is holding a sign that says “Police Department Criminal” together with his full name, Nathaniel McCauley. His dark hair and dark blue eyes are based on the novel, although I made his hair slightly more reddish to make him look different from Bronwyn. I also added piercings because I personally associate them with the rebellious “criminal” stereotype and because it symbolizes his parents lack of interest in his character. Across his neck, I wrote the word “Dealer” in red to represent his secret. Behind him, I drew pill bottles pouring pills downward, which symbolises the drugs connected to his storyline.

Next, I drew Bronwyn. In the book, her eyes are described as grey that sometimes appear blue, and I tried to include that in my drawing. She also wears the black-framed glasses mentioned in the novel, although they are a bit harder to see because of the red writing over them. I gave her a braid over her shoulder and bangs, although the bangs were my own interpretation. Since Bronwyn represents the “nerd” stereotype, I designed her clothes with a tartan and plaid pattern inspired by the stereotypical academic style often seen in movies. I chose purple simply because I felt that the colour suited her character. Around her neck, I placed a simple wooden sign saying “Nerd” because I wanted it to look plain and uncomplicated. Across her glasses, I wrote the word “Cheater” in red, making it look as though she is looking through it at the chemistry test she cheated on. Her colour scheme is dark due to the fact, that i wanted her to fade into the background. Behind her, I added chemistry flasks with
green liquid to connect directly to that scene in the story.

Then I drew Addy. I gave her long champagne-blonde hair in a warmer shade than Cooper’s because I wanted the two blond characters to still look visually different. She is wearing a pink two-piece outfit inspired by the stereotypical “princess” image, and I was also slightly inspired by Princess Peach from Mario. Around her neck, she wears a necklace with the letter “J” engraved into it, representing Jake. I also made her face slightly rounder to match the “heart-shaped face” described in the book. On her head, I placed a crown with the word “Princess” written on it because her stereotype is the popular princess-like girl. Behind her, I drew a pair of scissors cutting through her hair, symbolising the moment later in the novel when she cuts it as part of her character development. Across her chest, I wrote the word “Whore” in red. I chose this instead of
writing “Cheater” again because I did not want to repeat the same word as Bronwyn’s secret. It also reflects the way Jake and others judged and treated her after her secret was revealed.

The last suspect I drew was Cooper. His appearance was inspired by the description that he has a “Captain America face.” I looked up Captain America for inspiration, although I decided not to copy the hairstyle exactly. I gave Cooper blond hair because I did not want too many characters with brown hair, and I chose green eyes because I wanted more colour variation between the characters. I also tried to give him strong cheekbones, although the final result made him look slightly older and more tired than I originally intended. Around his neck, he wears a medal labelled “Jock,” representing his athletic stereotype. I added footballs around him because football is such an important part of his identity, and I wanted him to have background elements just like the other characters. On his varsity jacket, there is a large “B” representing Bayview High School. On the left side of his chest, close to the heart, I drew a stitched rainbow-coloured heart symbolising that he is gay. Above it, I wrote his secret in red. The stitched heart is meant to symbolise that his sexuality is not something he can simply remove or change; it is permanently part of him.

All of the suspects have worried and uncomfortable facial expressions. Their body language also appears insecure and nervous. I did not choose these poses without reason.
As already mentioned with Nate, he stands like a criminal taking a police mugshot, which reflects the stereotype of him being seen as a delinquent. Bronwyn stands upright, representing her strict, rule-following mindset and personality. Addy looks nervously to the side while holding one arm in front of her stomach, symbolizing both her insecurity about her appearance and her fear of losing her perfect image. Cooper turns slightly away and avoids the viewer’s gaze. This reflects his efforts to avoid anything that could reveal his secret, to the point that he even dates a girl he does not truly love just to hide the fact that he is gay.

In the end, even the typography I used in the image was carefully planned. All four suspects carry aspects that represent their stereotypes. The writing connected to these details is neat and almost “perfect” in appearance. It looks soft and pure, reflecting the image of a flawless person. However, the secrets and lies each of the four characters carry are written in red and in a messy, chaotic style, as if they are breaking out. This symbolizes that people are not truly perfect and that secrets cannot stay hidden forever. It also shows how the parts of ourselves that society may label as “bad” are often seen as weaknesses by the individuals themselves, even though they are actually an important part of who they are.

Even though other characters like Jake could have been included, I decided to focus mainly on Simon and the four suspects because they are the emotional center of the story. Adding more characters would have made the artwork feel overcrowded and would have taken attention away from the main concept. This drawing took me a very long time because I carefully thought about every symbol, colour, and detail. I wanted the artwork not only to represent the story of the book, but also to show my own interpretation of the characters, their stereotypes, and their secrets.

In the end, I do not want my artwork to be seen as just another piece of “fan art.” I do not want someone to look at it, think “that’s a nice picture,” and simply move on. I want it to leave something behind. I want the image to make people feel something. With this artwork, I want to appeal to people to stop seeing their weaknesses as burdens. Weaknesses are part of being human. Mistakes are part of being human. No person is perfect, because a perfect person does not exist. Do not lie about who you are. Accept your flaws, your mistakes, your successes, and your failures. They are all a part of you, and that is something you can be proud of. Do not allow other people to label you.

If we can learn to do that, then maybe we can start loving ourselves a little more again.

Artwork and Text by Alexandra Schall, EF