The inevitable selfie drawn using the new toy by Amanda Bates

Amanda you are enjoying your new toy. Would recognise you just anywhere.....think I have said that before.

I thnk you have... You know, the really weird thing is that if it's reflected to be "the right way round" (because, of course, I did it using a mirror), it looks very strange to me.

seeing several of your self portraits shows your skill, as they are all so consistent. This digital package seems to give a very painterly result.

This is very good, but in light of the forum thread, how about producing a portrait that couldn't be mistaken for a painted one, as this one could. Perhaps devise a particular way of constructing the features that could only be done digitally. Now there's a challenge, lol! P.S. If you have a Minecraft addict in the house, the graphics and texture enhancement apps on that might provide a bit of inspiration.

Thea, excellent challenge, and one I will think about. Mind you, I'm not sure that I want to go down the games graphics route. That is CGI (computer generated images) and relies on mathematical constructs. It's essentially vector art - all well and good, but the toolset is all wrong. I could turn your challenge on its head and draw Minecraft-style images in traditional media... but they really don't interest me. There should be something else... the thing is, what *can't* you do in traditional media?

I think it is harder to get a three dimensional effect in traditional art. I know some people do it well, but it takes a level of skill that not everyone has. However, having seen computer graphics (although I understand that isn't the direction you want to go in) it does seem to have the ability to generate 3D images. How about if you could do your portrait in a similar style to this one but somehow get that 3D effect without resorting to optical illusions. You could perhaps get the portrait image to rotate so that we see all sides of the head - or am I getting too techy and not arty enough?? You definitely can't get a traditional painting, 3D or not, to rotate. However, I know nothing about the painting apps and programmes so I might be barking totally up the wrong tree.

Sorry, Thea, that tree is a hatstand. That would be 3d modelling - which involves constructing a shape out of multiple virtual planes (as in flat surfaces). I've dabbled (years ago) and decided it's not for me. Its more analogous to sculpture, really. Painting apps involve dragging colour across the screen and are inherently 2d.