First of all, it occured to me that most of my self-portraits portray me in a frontal viewpoint. Frankly, this is the easiest way to look at oneself in the mirror, but it does get a little monotonous. Sure, I try to mix it up with different materials or the addition of other elements (the birds, the birds!), but sometimes it's a challenge. That explains the 3/4 view today.
Secondly, straight ink - when applied with a brush - is a very linear medium, so I usually tend to just draw lines in the irises to add the "color" of the eyes. But tonight I simply didn't want to do that; therefore, I returned to my old friend, the ink wash. This was a good choice because it completely transformed the appearance of the drawing for the better by adding a couple additional tones to the pure black and white.
Another realization that I had at this very moment is that a good amount of the comments I make in the text that accompanies my self-portraits is actually geared toward the non-artist. Perhaps this is just the teacher in me, or maybe it's just my natural tendency to over-explain things. I believe a new goal that I should add to this project should be to strike a good balance between the "educational" aspects of art-making and the musings of a productive fine artist. I'll keep trying...
Sounds: Sam Bush, Glamour & Grits
Mr. Norris, today I randomly decided to look at your blog. I picked the perfect day...and scrolled down to find your proposal! WOW! That's so awesome and your portraits are equally as great. Good luck with everyting and hope you have a great summer!
ReplyDelete