Permission granted to laugh out loud

[Will Enns]

Hello Friends,

As I am on the steep part of the learning curve, I find it helpful to get all the critique I can.

You might well ask, what kind of a subject is this? You might even think it is a caricature. I assure you, it is not. It is the visage that greets me every morning when I look in the mirror.

I've drawn it as faithfully as possible, without photo reference of any kind. I simply grinned into the mirror, and sketched, then painted merrily away. What you see is what I saw, frightening though it may be. It's a practice piece, and not intended for framing, and is my first effort at painting entirely from life.

It has been an education to discover how a big smile seems to force the blood out of certain areas giving the skin a greenish cast, while it gets positively rosy in the cheeks. Such distinctions are impossible to make from photos.

Image:
11" x 14", watercolor on #140 Arches hot press.

Palette:

-Light skin tones-
raw sienna
yellow ochre
rose madder

-Half tones-
burnt sienna
cerulean blue

-Shadows-
winsor blue + alizarin crimson
alizarin crimson + paynes gray

-Hair -
raw umber
burnt umber
highlights-
white + yellow ochre or paynes gray

I would be interested in such general suggestions as you might be willing to offer.

Specifically, I would like to know how I might improve my choices of color.

Thanks in advance,
Will

p. s. As a matter of interest, it is very hard to relax the face after holding that grin for about 20 hours.

[Will Enns]

Here's a photo to show what I look like, for the sake of comparison.

[Steven Sweeney]

As a matter of interest, it is very hard to relax the face after holding that grin for about 20 hours.

I should think that just spiriting off the residue of adhesive from the duct tape would have taken another hour or so. And then the aloe cream . . .

Laughing out loud, yes, but with you, Will, not at you.

Let me take a stab at some general observations:

Though you noted that caricature wasn

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I love it! Such a devilish look! I have to print Steven

[Jean Kelly]

I've visited your website and it's obvious that you have a talent for caricature. I would expect that if one has a natural talent for cartooning it would be extremely difficult to get "serious". If this is the case for you, then you have my respect and admiration. Just don't get too serious, we need some levity here!

Jean

[Will Enns]

Jean,

Thank you for your understanding. It is indeed difficult to be serious when what you really want to do is laugh.


Enzie,

A devilish look, you say? That is a new description for me, but I embrace it with my whole being. I will practice that expression some more before bed, and in the morning ... look out, Brad Pitt!


Steven,

This treatise must be one of your best efforts to date, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

How could a whomping chin like that get past me? I have no excuse to offer. I shake my head, but just you wait -- I'll trim that thing by 20% and get rid of the pavement rash on it in the bargain.

As I understand your comments, I should lighten the area between the cheek and nose, as well as the two ax marks on the forehead to reduce the 'overmodeling.' Right? No problem.

About that big cheek, I did look at that quite carefully, and when I smiled like I meant it, that cheek got big and fat, just like I painted it. I thought the problem was the cheek on our left because I couldn't make it balloon out, like the other, and advance. How do I make it do that? I do see your point about making the cheek on the right recede. That won't be hard. I think I'll even be able to do some plastic surgery on the nose. How could I miss that?

[QUOTE]There will be value variations within each shape, but as a rule, the darkest and lightest values within any shape should remain distinct from similar values in the other

[Steven Sweeney]

[QUOTE]Quote: There will be value variations within each shape, but as a rule, the darkest and lightest values within any shape should remain distinct from similar values in the other

[Steven Sweeney]

Another day, another small clarification in response to your questions.

About that cheek on our left. You asked how to make it look larger and advance. I think that two things are making it look smaller and more pinched than the cheek on the other side. First, the top plane of the cheek, the area right below the eye, could be lighter in value. You're not breaking up a value area by doing that, but simply recognizing that light-facing plane in its true, discrete value.

And then, extend the transition area between that light and the dark shadow side of the face. Right now the transition is very rapid, giving the impression that the side plane of the face has dropped away sharply. If you look at the similar area in the photograph you posted, you'll see a much more gradual transition, which in turn will lend itself to a more full and rounded look. Also, you can see that some of most interesting color shows up in that transition area.

And yes, on the far cheek, lighten that shadow on the side near the tip of the nose. You may be able to keep a dark line in the crease where the facial planes meet, but be aware that even that line is not as dark as you might think. Most importantly, though, get some transition into this area as well, rather than a quick shift from light to shadow. That will round things out nicely.

As for the blue shirt, no, don't go with a red background. That won't look right with the blue, either. I have to admit that I've played around with this in Photoshop a while, and I haven't settled on anything. Maybe somebody with a better eye for color than I have can offer some suggestions.

[Will Enns]

Thanks to Steven's many excellent suggestions I've been able to make substantial improvements, resulting in a painting that looks more like me than I do.

This has been a true education. I've discovered how white my teeth aren't, how brown my hair isn't, and how scary I amn't, (as evidenced by the fact that no screams emanated from my computer screen when I posted the first attempt.)

One might ask, does it portray the real 'me?' Yes, with the caveat that it conveys my outward appearence, but reveals only a glimpse of the quirky personality behind the facade. Oh well.

Certainly I do not think this is the best that could be done. It is just the best I can do right now -- a condition that shall not exist for long, thanks to all the good information available on this Forum.

Thanks again to Cynthia for creating this Forum, and to Steven for those insightful comments.

[Will Enns]

The revised self portrait