Hello from Cairo, Egypt
 

Hi, my name is Muhammad Sida, I'm 32 years old & I've just started painting (seriously) a couple of weeks ago. Before I was a 3D modeler. I've been doing it for 10 years.
I had sort of an art education when I was 17 years old at the university but unfortunatly it was more of a 5 year vacation than an education. :)

I learnt nothing, but I went from a teenager who barely touches a book to someone who spends everything he earns on'em. (Going from zero to hero so to speak isn't really that easy) :)

So I guess I'm mostly self taught. I'm here because I don't want to be the occasional artist anymore.

I'm attaching a portrait of my wife on a round canvas diameter is 30cm.
- A black & white portrait from a black & white photograph of my wife, dimensions are 10x15cm.
- A master copy with a detail that I never had a chance to finish, did it in my spare time for fun and practice a while back, a collector took it away. He said it was great like that... dimensions are 10x15cm.

I hope you guys like my work.

Muhammad,

Welcome, your paintings are beautiful and intriguing. I'm sure we can learn from each other. I agree with the collector.

Muhammad,

Welcome to the forum! I am enjoying your paintings. They have a mysterious quality as well as being skillfully painted. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Welcome, Muhammad!

I like what you posted very much, in particular the profile of your wife. So glad that you have joined us here, hope you find what you´re looking for in this forum and, as Mike says, maybe we can learn from each other.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work...!

Carlos

Welcome to the forum! :)

Thank you all so much :) It would be my honor and pleasure to learn from you all, I'm glad you like my work.

@Mike: Well I still feel a little uneasy about it, its been 4 years but it was my very 1st miniature master copy...
I needed the money. :)

@Carlos: She's my very last piece, I ruined a previous one of her that she adored...(oops?)
It happens, I just used the wrong oil....when it dried it yellowed out the portrait and just ruined it...Anyway, I had to make it up to her. :)
(Velasquez repainted and adjusted many of his paintings, I would really like to be able to do that.)

I'll be looking forward to post more here and to not disappoint you all. :)

Hi Muhammad, and welcome to the forum. I know everyone will appreciate your lovely work!

You mentioned "the wrong oil" yellowed out a portrait you did. You may already know this but if it was linseed oil, putting the painting in bright light (a sunny window) will soon restore it to it's original color.

Well thank you very much Michele for the help I appreciate it a lot & I sure do hope so :)

Yes it was drying linseed oil, at the time I didn't know and I just painted over it. It didn't go as planned , it wasn't as luminous as the 1st pass so I decided to leave it. I'll be repainting it from scratch this week. And another one in the same style but of my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law ordered them.

I never had to copy myself before but this one was quite unique. Particularly because of its background, It was based of arabic numbers.
I think it's an opportunity for me to redesign a few things and maybe take another approach.

Back to the oil issue, I found my answer a year later on page 128 Chapter X of (The Painter's Methods and Materials) By A.P. Laurie.
It's an old book I found in my grandfather's library. :)

Hi Muhammad, I'm a bit of a noob here too. Your paintings look great.

Hi Lewis,
Thanks man I'm glad you like'em :)
Your thread was the very 1st one I've seen when I joined in, love your self portrait, I wanted to check out your blog but it seems the link is not working..or maybe it was just my computer :)
I'd be looking forward to see the portrait of your mom finished. it looks great :)