Self-portrait

Marina Dieul · 05-15-2006, 02:12 PM

Hi,
this is my second try.
16X20. From life.
Some days, I like it, and some other days, I don't.
I think I need some fresh eyes to know if I stop here or not.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 05-15-2006, 02:56 PM

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

Linda Brandon · 05-15-2006, 04:03 PM

Marina, I congratulate you on this self portrait done from life, it feels unflinching and honest and direct - all good things! I also like the design element of the scarf, a nice touch.

I would just echo Ilaria to say that this feels more like a drawing than a painting.

What kind of lighting did you use here, by the way?

Alexandra Tyng · 05-15-2006, 08:55 PM

Marina, this is a fine accomplishment! You have a lovely face with interesting bone structure; I imagine it was a pleasure to paint. The color and modeling seem accurate.

It's true that you could put on more paint, especially in the light areas. This might naturally happen as you paint more with oils--or you may have to force it a little by adding more paint at the end, in selected areas. To get the feeling of a loaded paintbrush, mix your color, scrape it all together with a palette knife, then scoop up a generous amount with the tip of your brush.

The other thing that hits me are the edges. I think many are too defined. The lips, for instance, the lower eyelash area, and the bottom of the face and the neck. The hair also. If you get the features in the right place, you will NOT ruin the likeness by painting the light areas looser and thicker.

Mary Jane Ansell · 05-16-2006, 07:06 AM

Marina, I think it's lovely - to me you are capturing a real sense of your elegance and warmth, which I think is very rare in self portraits. It's fittingly classical too - Ingres and David come to mind immediately... an intentional reference I shouldn't wonder?

I do agree that the neck, particularly on the viewers left, isn't working yet though - I wonder if you are just trimming a bit off your jaw there? I'd be tempted to give the area a wash of the darker pink from your lower cheek and rework the highlights. And perhaps you could narrow the neck slightly to add to the elegance of the pose.

There's also perhaps a little too much going on in the highlights of your eyes that is giving your expression a slightly glazed feel - its marginal but your gaze is so wonderful otherwise that I think its worth trying to rectify this small issue... to me there's a slightly pink bulge in the white of your eye furthest to the left edge of the painting that I'd even out... and I wonder if the highlight under your inner lash line in the other eye needs darkening?

That's what I would probably be tempted to fiddle with first anyway - my apologies for being so particular because I really do think its lovely. Hope you will post it again if you do rework it!

Sharon Knettell · 05-16-2006, 09:47 AM

What a pleasure this is to see. I love the direct boldness of the face.

I am so impressed that this effort is from life. This is the proper way to begin and learn. Photographs never give you all the information you need and most beginners I noticed are tracing them and filling in the color. That is not the way to a definable style.

Two things I would work on:

A: The neck area. Squint as you are looking at it , soften the area of the farthest collar bone and some of the neck muscles.
B: The color. Remember the complementaries. If you use a yellow green scarf, a cool red background would be appropriate. Work the color arrangement out before you start. Keep changing the background drape until you find the right color harmony. You will know, it should have a pleasant vibration. Do quick small color studies first. They save you a lot of time in the end.

Judson Eneas · 05-16-2006, 02:45 PM

This is an outstanding portrait. It's much better than what I can do. Perhaps you need a little bit more warm colors in your portrait. Maybe if you had taken a better photograph of your painting it would look better online.

Marina Dieul · 05-16-2006, 03:49 PM

Ilaria,
Thank you for pointing things like the neck and the hair, I think I knew I had to work more on it but ( laziness, lack of interrest ?) didn't really want to hear it. Now ,I have no choice...

I realised that, when I began this, it was totally enough if I could obtain a well executed painting, so it was a sort of revelation when you told me to push myself into unknown territories. It sounds evident to me now that I have to make a try. If I don't do it on this piece, when will I do?
Good luck in your unknown territories, I hope you will show the result: I always love your color harmonies.
( the phaidon book is on my birthday list )

Linda,
maybe I moved too quickly from drawing to painting ( from life), my drawing becomes accurate after spending hours and hours on it.
When I painted this, there was a moment where there was nice brush strokes, and nice colors, but not exactly at the right place, or the right value. I worked again hours on it , and lost this freshness, to obtain the exact likeness I wanted ( almost).
I work at the only place at home where I can do this : I have a window on my left ( south-west: I had to work on the mornings, and the cloudy afternoons. I was the only one who was happy when we had a rainy day!) And I have another small window far back on my right.
Thank you for your nice words.

I'm going to write more later, baby finished sleeping too early.

Marina Dieul · 05-16-2006, 10:15 PM

Alex,
I agree with edges. anyway, I'm going to try something looser and thicker ( I like those words) I'm sure that in one or two hundred more paintings it will come naturally ...
Oh. I'm SOOOO happy to know that I have an interesting bone structure, nobody told me that before!

Hi Mary Jane,
in fact, my idea was to give a 18th century feeling, but it sounds that it's more 19th century finally. It's OK, Ingres is one of my heros.

I'm going to check the details you pointed, and certainly you will see the result.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Sharon,
thank you. I think I'm going to print all those suggestions to be sure that I don't forget something...
I wanted to make a quick small study before, but finally spent 6 or 7 hours on it before I decide it was too much for a "quick" study. And finally, as it was a very sunny day, it didn't help me at all for the colors.
I'm not sure exactly what a color study should be like. Someone could post one exemple, please? I understand the concept, but a picture would be helpful to visualize it...

Judson,
I know the photo have some glare ( I just oiled it out because lots of earth colors sunk) I did my best to minimized it.
thanks for the comment.

Alexandra Tyng · 05-16-2006, 10:56 PM

Marina,

If you want to see some examples of color studies, I've posted two examples on this forum. Here are the links:

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=6111

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=6260

They usually take me about 40-45 minutes, but if you are less impatient and more meticulous than I, then you might want to take a couple of hours.The exact time doesn't matter.