From the Artist: Here is my first try at a self-portrait. I found this to be a huge challenge, compounded by the fact, that I did it naked. I felt by painting myself naked, I had nothing to hide behind, literally.
My vanity really wanted to flatten my stomach, tighten up my chest, etc ... I managed to get past all that and I really enjoyed myself. I found my body much easier to paint than my face. I limited myself to three colors (Prussian blue, cadmium orange, and burnt sienna), plus white.
This kinda looks like me, although I don't think I'm quite that stern. I pulled myself away from it, because I think I was getting too fussy, and not sure what else it needs. Since initially thinking it was finished, I did a little more work on it. I increased the shadow under my nose and around my eyes, added more of an eyelid on my left eye and I also notice that my beard goes past the corner of my mouth. It showed me how important it is to step away for a while and come back with a fresh eye.
From the Painting Guide: Certainly a self-portrait is putting yourself on display as an artist, so why not take it a step further? Literally having nothing to hide behind is certainly the best motivation I've heard for painting oneself totally naked! (I'm guessing you don't have a studio where visitors can peep through the window unexpectedly to see if you're at home though...)
As for the stern look, I read it as a look given to someone who's just interrupted you or let in a cold draft by opening the door. Being very serious or stern is common in a self-portrait because you concentrate so much on painting you forget about your facial expression until you're way into a painting.
I think this is a great self-portrait. It's got such a sense of concentration of the artist at work, fabulous color, and a strong composition. I find it hard to believe it's your first self-portrait!
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Limited Colors: This is a great example of how fewer colors doesn't mean limited color, on the contrary. Just look at the glorious skin tones, the white highlights in the hair, and the deep darks in the background.
Background: Look at how the background makes the colors of the figure/face and canvas/easel glow. How by using the same colors for the shadows/darker tones on the figure, the background and subject have a sense of unity, of being in the same space.
My vanity really wanted to flatten my stomach, tighten up my chest, etc ... I managed to get past all that and I really enjoyed myself. I found my body much easier to paint than my face. I limited myself to three colors (Prussian blue, cadmium orange, and burnt sienna), plus white.
This kinda looks like me, although I don't think I'm quite that stern. I pulled myself away from it, because I think I was getting too fussy, and not sure what else it needs. Since initially thinking it was finished, I did a little more work on it. I increased the shadow under my nose and around my eyes, added more of an eyelid on my left eye and I also notice that my beard goes past the corner of my mouth. It showed me how important it is to step away for a while and come back with a fresh eye.
From the Painting Guide: Certainly a self-portrait is putting yourself on display as an artist, so why not take it a step further? Literally having nothing to hide behind is certainly the best motivation I've heard for painting oneself totally naked! (I'm guessing you don't have a studio where visitors can peep through the window unexpectedly to see if you're at home though...)
As for the stern look, I read it as a look given to someone who's just interrupted you or let in a cold draft by opening the door. Being very serious or stern is common in a self-portrait because you concentrate so much on painting you forget about your facial expression until you're way into a painting.
I think this is a great self-portrait. It's got such a sense of concentration of the artist at work, fabulous color, and a strong composition. I find it hard to believe it's your first self-portrait!
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Limited Colors: This is a great example of how fewer colors doesn't mean limited color, on the contrary. Just look at the glorious skin tones, the white highlights in the hair, and the deep darks in the background.
Background: Look at how the background makes the colors of the figure/face and canvas/easel glow. How by using the same colors for the shadows/darker tones on the figure, the background and subject have a sense of unity, of being in the same space.