Thread: Self-portrait
View Single Post
Old 05-15-2006, 02:56 PM   #2
Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco is offline
Juried Member
 
Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco's Avatar
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: London,UK
Posts: 640
Marina, my first impression:
I think this really deserves more work, I mean it does not need it but it deserves it, because it is a very intense work, with such a strong look in your eyes!
I personally would address the neck, the face looks a little like it is floating, maybe you can investigate more the way the neck turns under your right ear.
Also another thing might be to loosen up the way you have painted the hair: perhaps softening the edges and blend them more into the forehead, and putting the light and darks more in relationship with the forehead, which after all it is hit by the same light (look at Rubens, he could really paint hair).

Ultimately this is a painting FOR YOU, and you can push it to the extremes, its structure is obviously very solidly understood and can support a good amount of paint, don't be afraid of ruining it, you have done it once, you can do it again.
You obviously are very skilled in drawing. I think you should abandon your safety net of drawing and show off the same confidence in painting, by allowing the colors coming out of their boundaries (edges)?
I think this work will become increasingly interesting for you from now on, and subsequently more interesting to the viewer, if you don't treat it as a piece of well executed painting (that you proved you can do), but rather as an occasion to try and push yourself into unknown territory.

I think it could be interesting for you to go and look again at artists you like, do you have the little Phaidon book of 500 self portraits?
Gosh, I am afraid I have been too harsh, but I am working on a self portrait too these days, and this is what I am trying to tell myself
With solidarity
Ilaria
__________________
Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco
  Reply With Quote