2D Fine Art Project: Self-Portraits


The painting above is my final piece for the 3 day project. I chose oil painting because it is my favourite medium and I wanted to test out a new style of painting that I was shown by the tutor. Usually I would work with more of a subtle tone and method of applying the paint onto the paper. This time I worked with more colours that I could find from observing my face, layering up the textures to give quite a rough finish. The piece is unfinished but it was a really good practice and I am quite proud of it.

My research really helped me to understand the concept of self-portraits, looking at the messages beneath the skin and how aspects such as colour and composition can be used to reflect this. I was especially inspired by Egon Schiele, as his self-portraits seem very honest and display a bold defiance against conventional norms of beauty. His work is quite moving and simultaneously unsettling to the viewer, which is why it draws one into his work.



I was shown a new technique that I spent quite some time on which was treating the surface with oil paint, and then using a rag to remove the paint in order to demonstrate the light parts of the face. This was quite unnerving at first as we were focusing only on light, not the subject. From marks that made no sense on paper, eventually the piece materialised into something that resembled the face, miraculously! I really enjoyed this and I have gathered some ideas to develop this idea, such as using two different colour paints so that when the paint of the first layer is removed, there is another colour beneath. I think this could look quite good using complimentary colours.

This project has got to be my favourite so far as I got to develop my skills in my favourite medium. The topic 'Self-Portraits' was also really interesting as often people will avoid looking at themselves as the subjects of their artwork. However, I found it quite liberating as well as useful because the subject of the drawing or painting is live and you have the power to control the climate as it is yourself you are studying. I think it a really good practice for studying the human form, especially when no one else will model for you!









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