Self-Portrait
To create realistic portraits, some artist have to first use themselves as a study. Someone who did this was Vincent Van Gogh because he could not afford models. He created at least 35 portraits of himself throughout his career. I used one of his self-portraits for my art curation, and his works specifically inspired me most when wanting to create my own self-portrait. The three self-portraits I discovered of his on a virtual art gallery visit are as follows. https://artsandculture.google.com/search?q=vincent+van+gogh+self+portrait
Self-portrait from 1887 (media and dimensions not visible for this piece). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait-vincent-van-gogh/nAHHHe2ggxUGyg
Self-portrait from 1889 (oil on canvas, 540x650 mm). (original inspiration from previous project). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait/9gFw_1Vou2CkwQ
Self-portrait from 1887 (oil on artist board, 41x32.5 cm). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait-vincent-van-gogh-dutch-1853-1890/mwF3N6F_RfJ4_w
I selected only Van Gogh pieces because I enjoyed the detail and the color scheme he used for each one. He also used interesting techniques of "dot" like work and swirls. This created an interesting texture in certain parts of his portraits.
The following images are of myself and the self-portrait I created from the original photo.
The media I chose for my project was watercolor on mix media paper. I chose the watercolor because it still provided the sense of being realistic, but I did not have to be precise with my detail like I would usually have to be with acrylic paints. It was easy to manipulate so that I had dark and lighter areas throughout the work, especially in the face. I wanted the face to have shadows, and by mixing in dryer water color I was able to create the darkness around the frame of the face versus the lightness of the center. What was challenging for this portrait was that I did not have the time to make it perfect. I am a perfectionist and I like to put out quality work. I still believe this is an excellent portrait, but if I had more time, I could have created a grid that matched the photo in order to get the proportions and dimensions right. With grids, attention to the smallest details can be achieved which helps to create a realistic piece. Due to this being an exceptionally busy week for me with final papers for many other classes, I was not able to put that much detail into this piece. I am happy with what I created though with the time I was able to take out to create it. This piece does not just represent me because it is me, but it also represents my free willed spirit. Like I said previously, it is easy to manipulate watercolor to create the detail you want without being perfect. I am not perfect and this shows that, along with the freedom I had in creating this piece of myself. Design elements and principles were used to create this piece. For elements I used line to first sketch out the big details of my facial structure, color because I wanted to showcase the original color of the picture ( I did not want a basic black and white portrait) and texture which was executed by using different amounts of water, and colors layered on top of one another. Value was also used because by using the colors in different ways of light and dark, I was able to create the texture of the hair as well. Principles I used were balance as I made the portrait center of the paper, and the colors were equally significant throughout the piece, emphasis by shading in the rest of the paper to make the portrait stand out, and proportion because the facial features are directly proportionate to one another. I enjoyed creating this piece because I was able to put my artistic abilities to the test which have not been utilized for a long time since I have been busy in college for 3 years. I used to draw, color, and paint all the time, but I have not had the time these past few years except on small occasion. I enjoy being creative and showing people the creative skills that I do possess. This was a good way to showcase the skills I have. I also enjoyed working on this because it was very relaxing. With all the other work I have been doing, it was nice to sit down and do something I like, even if it is for a class project. I am proud of the piece I was able to create, and I loved how it turned out by using the watercolor. I had never used watercolor before for a realistic piece, and I will be using it in the future due to how well it worked for this project.
Self-portrait from 1887 (media and dimensions not visible for this piece). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait-vincent-van-gogh/nAHHHe2ggxUGyg
Self-portrait from 1889 (oil on canvas, 540x650 mm). (original inspiration from previous project). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait/9gFw_1Vou2CkwQ
Self-portrait from 1887 (oil on artist board, 41x32.5 cm). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/self-portrait-vincent-van-gogh-dutch-1853-1890/mwF3N6F_RfJ4_w
I selected only Van Gogh pieces because I enjoyed the detail and the color scheme he used for each one. He also used interesting techniques of "dot" like work and swirls. This created an interesting texture in certain parts of his portraits.
The following images are of myself and the self-portrait I created from the original photo.
The media I chose for my project was watercolor on mix media paper. I chose the watercolor because it still provided the sense of being realistic, but I did not have to be precise with my detail like I would usually have to be with acrylic paints. It was easy to manipulate so that I had dark and lighter areas throughout the work, especially in the face. I wanted the face to have shadows, and by mixing in dryer water color I was able to create the darkness around the frame of the face versus the lightness of the center. What was challenging for this portrait was that I did not have the time to make it perfect. I am a perfectionist and I like to put out quality work. I still believe this is an excellent portrait, but if I had more time, I could have created a grid that matched the photo in order to get the proportions and dimensions right. With grids, attention to the smallest details can be achieved which helps to create a realistic piece. Due to this being an exceptionally busy week for me with final papers for many other classes, I was not able to put that much detail into this piece. I am happy with what I created though with the time I was able to take out to create it. This piece does not just represent me because it is me, but it also represents my free willed spirit. Like I said previously, it is easy to manipulate watercolor to create the detail you want without being perfect. I am not perfect and this shows that, along with the freedom I had in creating this piece of myself. Design elements and principles were used to create this piece. For elements I used line to first sketch out the big details of my facial structure, color because I wanted to showcase the original color of the picture ( I did not want a basic black and white portrait) and texture which was executed by using different amounts of water, and colors layered on top of one another. Value was also used because by using the colors in different ways of light and dark, I was able to create the texture of the hair as well. Principles I used were balance as I made the portrait center of the paper, and the colors were equally significant throughout the piece, emphasis by shading in the rest of the paper to make the portrait stand out, and proportion because the facial features are directly proportionate to one another. I enjoyed creating this piece because I was able to put my artistic abilities to the test which have not been utilized for a long time since I have been busy in college for 3 years. I used to draw, color, and paint all the time, but I have not had the time these past few years except on small occasion. I enjoy being creative and showing people the creative skills that I do possess. This was a good way to showcase the skills I have. I also enjoyed working on this because it was very relaxing. With all the other work I have been doing, it was nice to sit down and do something I like, even if it is for a class project. I am proud of the piece I was able to create, and I loved how it turned out by using the watercolor. I had never used watercolor before for a realistic piece, and I will be using it in the future due to how well it worked for this project.
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