Self-Portrait set up

[Kimberly Dow]

I'd like to hear how others have done self-portraits from life.

Where was the mirror? Easel? Could you see yourself and the canvas at the same time? Where/what was the light source?

Thanks!

[Minh Thong]

One from the peanut gallery (since no one else has weighed in) ...

I'm just a student, merely an amateur, and I only have about one year in oils, so I'm probably way off track. But what I've been doing from the beginning is copying my backgrounds and clothing from Old Master prints - albeit usually with modifications - and then I'll set up a mirror on a spare easel at head-height to do my noggin. I'll arrange the mirror and the light source to match the background/clothing reference and then dive in.

I too, would be interested in how the more advanced portraitists do it. And also to know whether or not the pros still do self-portraits once they're working at a level which allows them to make a living at it.

I really enjoy trying to copy facial expressions that convey certain emotions. I have a long way to go, but I'm certainly enjoying the process.

Minh

[Igor Babailov]

Dear Kim and Minh,

I commend you for trying to work from life!

Doing a self-portrait is probably the easiest reference one can get in searching for the answers, particularly in figurative work.

I always say to my students, that the best model you can get is You. The model you see in the mirror can sit patiently for you as long as you need: What a treat!

Below is my multi-figured painting, where all the figures were created with the help of the mirror. Anatomic correctness of the positions of figures, facial expressions, positions of hands, all were done under the same light (from one side, approx. 45 degrees angle from above, which is the light's most "natural" position and makes any painting look "convincing" ). I simply posed myself, when I painted it, making those mimics, just drew different and imaginative faces, as we all have the same anatomic structure, although I've been told that some of them still look like me...

The mirror is certainly a great tool to practice your skills. It can be set up on any angle, according to your eye level. It would depend on your initial artistic goal, how you want the head to be seen: on your eye level, from below or even from above. You can also set up three mirrors, this way you can draw your own profile. Just make sure that you don't move the head ( only your eyes ) and draw from the same angle from start to completion.

I hope it was helpful, Good Luck and best wishes!

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Kim, I'd place the mirror close to your canvas so that the light is close to the same on both. You'll want to be close up (as we talked about). The flip flop is an interesting deal-but the practice is great and when you want to work your model is already there! What I'm saying is the painting may look more like you (to you) than to others since it's the image you always see in the mirror and it's the opposite of what everyone else sees.TT

[Kimberly Dow]

Thanks Minh for bringing this one back to life!

Igor,
That is truly impressive. I never would have guessed those were all you. This must have been a real time consuming piece. I really only considered painting a self-portrait if it is me in the mirror - but what a great idea to change up some features. This opens up a whole new slew of figurative ideas for me!

Tim,
I actually never thought about it enough (or tried it) to realize that my face would be the opposite of what everyone sees. That is an interesting aspect. Yes, I will place the mirror and canvas as close as possible in the same light. That is more challenging for me since I like to be farther away to get the likeness, but I will not be satisfied until I can do it that close as well as farther away. I'll let you know how it progresses.

Thanks all!

[Virgil Elliott]

I've done three over the past twenty years, each following a different method. Most recently I used two mirrors: a large one on an easel to my right, and a hand mirror held in my left hand, which let me see what was reflected in the large mirror, approximately a profile view. In the reflection seen this way, the view of the hand mirror in the large mirror gave a simultaneous front view of my face. The hand mirror also had a crack in it, and I chose to paint it that way. The primary light source was high overhead, to my left front just a bit. I used a large baffle of black cloth behind the easel holding the big mirror to block out much of the secondary light from that side of my studio.

In 1993, I just did a straight mirror-image self-portrait, very quickly for me (eight hours), when my sitter for the day had to leave due to a business emergency just as I was about begin painting him. I didn't want to waste the paint on my palette. There were two primary light sources: one cool, a window on my right, and one warm, a halogen spot to my left and above. There was also secondary light from a glass door behind me, and much reflected light. I didn't really plan it, I just took a chance and painted what I saw, figuring I could always burn it if it turned out badly.

In 1984, I did a pastel self-portrait using a single mirror (the one in my bathroom) in six hours, but I reversed everything I saw, so the image would not be backwards. That is, everything I saw on the right, I mentally reversed and put on the left, and everything I saw on the left, I mentally reversed and put on the right. If an angle leaned two degrees to the right, I made it lean two degrees to the left instead, and so on. It was not as difficult as it sounds. The primary light was the window to my left, through which light reflected off the wall of the neighboring house.

For the next one, I might use a mannequin modified to my dimensions, dressed in my clothes, if I can get it into the right pose, perhaps with my face covered by my hand, as part of a scene. We'll see.

[Kimberly Dow]

Virgil-

Thank you for all that great information. I really enjoyed your self-portrait using the two mirrors- wonderful.

This has given me some great ideas!