Self Portraits

 Vail, AZ

18 Feb, 2022

It's hard to find models . . . 

Georgia O'Keefe once said that she painted flowers because 'They're cheap and don't move".  I find it difficult to find models - I do used photographs off the Net for practice, but, if I want to paint for a show, copywright issues come into play.  So, I tend to just use my own face.  Plus, to paraphrase Georgia - I'm always available and come cheap!.

Self-portraits over the years

I don't have too many sketches from my early years - too much vanity as a young person over my appearance.  Now that I'm old and don't care, I actually find it fun to draw my wrinkles, age spots and sagging jowls.

This is the earliest self-portrait that I still have.  This 8x10 sketch was done from a reference photo of me as a middle-schooler and was done in my early 20's.  My typical pen and ink (on cheap drawing paper, which, over 40 years, has yellowed and become crumbly - an object lesson in what happens when you don't use artist quality materials).

This small pencil sketch was done quickly one evening while I was watching TV and realized that I could see my refection in a nearby window. This was done about 20 years ago - early 2000's.

This 9x12 pencil sketch was done on toned paper and also by laying down a layer of charcoal first.  Then the face was 'sculpted' by adding darks and pulling out the lights with an eraser.  I used a photo of me in my early 30's as a reference, and the sketch was completed in 2020.

Another sketch done on toned paper, this time using soft graphite for the darks and white colored pencil for the lights.  This is a 9x12 sketch also completed in 2020, done live (looking into a mirror).

The self-portraits continue

Blind or semi-blind contour drawing is a great way to improve hand-eye coordination and provide a stress-free warm-up. So, one aspiration for 2022 is to do a quick (~2 minute)  small (3.5x5.5) semi-blind contour self-portrait as a warm-up exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I started this in December 2021, but already I can see the benefit.  Here's one of the first one's I did with one I did after about a month of regular sketching.  I'm finding that doing these quick sketches is enormous fun and I really love the quirky results!!

I'm finding that my goal of doing one of these little sketches daily is more aspirational than achievable, but I'm still finding them valuable and just a whole lot of fun - hard to think of new poses though.