From the Artist: I started out wanting to do something moody and powerful but everything I tried seemed to look gimmicky and forced. So I gave up with that and just tried to paint me, as this is my first attempt at a self-portrait and I didn't want to give up.
I left the background in that I'd started off with and painted some kind of garment which looks like a prison uniform, although I didn't do this consciously. Looking at this painting makes me think you could have been right about my January project painting (End of the Holidays) maybe I am depressed!
From the Painting Guide: I don't think it's a look of depression, I think it's a look of intense concentration. You may be relieved to know it's a look that quite often appears in self-portraits... I think we're so focused on painting we forget to notice what expression we've on our faces until we're too far into the painting to want to change it.
You should feel pleased with yourself for various reasons, not least that you did tackle a self-portrait and you finished it even though you struggled with it. It's true you look rather grim, but I think that's a secondary consideration to actually having finished your first self-portrait.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Capturing a Likeness: I can't comment on how much this looks like you, but to me the portrait looks like someone who's about to thump the artist because they've got fed up with sitting still for so long. It's a portrait that definitely conveys a sense of emotion.
I like the way you've painted your hair; it's got a sense of texture and color, but also of volume. With first attempts at portraits it's common to see hair that looks totally flat or stuck on like sheets of cardboard, rather than curving around the skull and extending out from the head.
I don't like the triangle of blue at the top; it's distracting because it's such a strong shape, and because of its color. I would've extended the other, earthier colors, into this area too.
I left the background in that I'd started off with and painted some kind of garment which looks like a prison uniform, although I didn't do this consciously. Looking at this painting makes me think you could have been right about my January project painting (End of the Holidays) maybe I am depressed!
From the Painting Guide: I don't think it's a look of depression, I think it's a look of intense concentration. You may be relieved to know it's a look that quite often appears in self-portraits... I think we're so focused on painting we forget to notice what expression we've on our faces until we're too far into the painting to want to change it.
You should feel pleased with yourself for various reasons, not least that you did tackle a self-portrait and you finished it even though you struggled with it. It's true you look rather grim, but I think that's a secondary consideration to actually having finished your first self-portrait.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Capturing a Likeness: I can't comment on how much this looks like you, but to me the portrait looks like someone who's about to thump the artist because they've got fed up with sitting still for so long. It's a portrait that definitely conveys a sense of emotion.
I like the way you've painted your hair; it's got a sense of texture and color, but also of volume. With first attempts at portraits it's common to see hair that looks totally flat or stuck on like sheets of cardboard, rather than curving around the skull and extending out from the head.
I don't like the triangle of blue at the top; it's distracting because it's such a strong shape, and because of its color. I would've extended the other, earthier colors, into this area too.