Day 7. Self portrait today looking into a hand mirror. I started off with a quick charcoal pencil sketch to loosen up, after this terrible first effort the little confidence I had in the subject took a nosedive.
Not to be beaten I tried again with a sanquine oil pencil. I tried a more sketchy approach this time but concentrated more on proportions. I think there is some likeness but not in the eyes they evaded me and one is higher than the other!
My December challenge is to paint every day, I did not feel confident with oil paints and decided instead to try watercolours.
I sketched in the outline and features lightly as a guide and then in with pale washes of watercolour building up the layers from light to dark.
Watercolour on Arches Cold Pressed paper 10 x 14 inches
Evaluation then…. I feel reasonably happy with the proportions although the eyes again need attention, are they too big? To be honest I have found tackling a self portrait very hard.
Nevertheless not to be deterred amongst my library of art books I shall do some more study on portraiture and next time after many more sketches try a self portrait in oils!
The Creative Muse 