OPERATION SELF PORTRAIT: FIRST ATTEMPT

Here's the thing: I like to paint people. I like to paint hands. I like how minutia can be emotional, so I like to zoom in closely towards a subject and paint them. My husband kindly tells me that his favorite paintings of mine are those that have people in them. And to be honest, those are some of my favorite paintings, too.

And here's the other thing: I'm not that satisfied with my technical skills when it comes to portraiture. While my past paintings of women and hands are successfully executed and emotional charged paintings, I will admit that I need to improve. It's hard to post this, for some reason. Maybe because it feels like I'm denying my capabilities while, at the same time, being an artist means being confident in my work. 

But like using new materials, taking on challenging subjects,  or playing with new color palettes...taking the opportunity to improve the rusty bits can only work for the greater good.

The greater good? Your work. My work.

Also, while I'm not really into painting traditional portraits, I know that my ability to see a subject clearly directly affects the success of a painting.

I've borrowed this book and workbook from my sister-in-law called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence," and I would like to share my journey with you as I delve into Betty Edwards' advice and teachings. 

Here we have Self-Portrait #1. I drew this in front of my web-cam, which I would not recommend to other artists. It blurred out detail, which is a very important component when doing portraiture. You need to be able to see. I need to be able to see.

I also need to stop being lazy and sit in front of the bathroom mirror, instead. Lesson one learned.