Tuesday, September 18, 2007

PerOxide


Acrylic on canvas board - 1 hour 20 mins

I managed to set aside this morning for time in the studio and my time was very productive. As well as starting two small paintings, for a series, I managed another self portrait.
I found a canvas board that had an old sketch in purple acrylic on it and decided to use it as a base colour for today's piece. I then closed my eyes, plunged my hand into my acrylic box and pulled out a colour - 'red iron oxide'. To this I added a 'titanium white' for highlights and a dark 'burnt umber' for darker values. I then placed the mirror in front of me and set about painting directly onto the canvas, feeling my way around my own features with the brush rather than sketching them in first with pencil.

It felt so good to get my acrylic brushes wet again!

In the afternoon I came back into the house to paint my hair.
All of this staring into a mirror studying myself had made me realise how dark my roots had become, so out came the hair colour before I was mistaken for being Cruella D'Evil.
I later touched my roots up on this self portrait too!

Can you tell by this portrait that I bite the inside of my bottom lip when I concentrate? I have, in the past, made it quite sore while sketching and painting.

9 comments:

dibujandoarte said...

WOW! Nice job!! the eyes look great. I want to see more...

"JeanneG" said...

Anita I really like this one. I have never tried to paint myself. Just now getting comfortable drawing myself. I don't "see" the different colors in faces. Maybe if I go at it in monochrome, I can do it like a sketch. I'm probably far off from doing it without a sketch first. Good job.

Anonymous said...

very nice! makes me want to finish the one i'd started. Based on a suggestion from an artist i admire, I plan to add oil over the acrylic layers.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Wonderful life in your eyes, Anita. Now you've planted the idea, I want to see one of your actually having a little chomp on your bottom lip.

Anonymous said...

I do that too! Bite my lip, that is, not touch up my roots...Great to see you letting your hair down.

Nina Johansson said...

Wow, beautiful work! And brave to paint with little or no drawing. I like to do that too, it often gives exciting results. I have done it with my painting students too, and many of them hate doing it (the lack of control seems to scare them), but their paintings turn out amazing...

mrana said...

Great self-portrait, tons of character, well done!

Fighter Jet said...

Man!..it was amazing...
r u a profesisional?

Anonymous said...

Wow, Anita, this is great! Awesome work.