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Self Portrait
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Message
Posted
Following comments on my pastel portrait and encouragement not to give up, I have had a go at a self portrait. It is a work in progress, but I would be grateful for comment so far. I am aware it is not a very flattering pose, but that's what happens when use a mirror to paint from!
Thanks
Dawn
Posted
I think it is really promising. I'm particularly interested in the variety of tones you have used in the shadows. The only advice I will offer is that you do not make all the skin tones too cold (blue). or you will look frozen. Laura Knight (Famous Cornish Artist) tended to use grey in her facial shadows if you care to look. I have also been looking at the grisaille method of painting (painting the whole picture in shades of grey and when dry, applying coloured glazes over the top. There are examples of this on You tube.
Meanwhile keep up the good work and I'm glad you didn't give up.
Posted
It's a convincing portrait, I like it.
I've been painting portraits for some years, I've found that a restricted palette is useful for painting skin tones and hair. It's called the Zorn palette - yellow ochre or raw sienna, cad red, black and white. I may use other colours for the background or clothing.
Posing with a full frontal face and a strong light coming from the side gives strong contrasts of light and dark and clearly shows the contours of the face.
I occasionally will do a three quarter face portrait, although it's a difficult technique if you only use one mirror. After you've looked at your face in the mirror, you have to swivel your head to paint on the canvas, and errors creep in when you turn your head back to look in the mirror. I've tried using a double mirror system without much success. It requires lots of space in order to set up the two mirrors and get the angle right in relation with the canvas.
Posted
Thank you everyone for your comments and tips. I think I have done as much as I can with this for now. I have tried to blend and soften the shadows. My mother-in-law said I had made myself look much older than I am.(I will leave you guessing for now). I am so glad I didn't give up after my earlier poor pastel - thanks to comments from Adele and Robert etc. Onwards and upwards! How is your water colour coming on, Adele?