[opticillusion]

Hello all,

This weekend, I'm getting my portfolio all together to be shot onto slides on Monday to submit to a few colleges. I noticed that I haven't done a self-portrait since about sixth grade drawing class. So this is my first ever digital painting of any sort of portrait. Being my own, I think it has got to be the toughest task. But I have to thank Fred for the 2d head drawing tutorial. That helped tremendously with proportions. So, thanks Fred.

I used a photo reference which can be seen here. And, I used a mirror, with a lamp turned on in the top right for the lighting. I have only tomorrow to tweak this and get it printed out for Monday, so please give any feedback or critique whenever you get a spare moment. ~Thanks

[Bugscratch]

I'm no authority on anatomy but I'd say the mouth and chin need some work. They look kind of distorted, a bit too far to the right.

[above]

I think the face looks a little too muddy, try not to use black when shading. Maybe some harder edges on the nose would help, and whiten up those teeth it looks like you just ate a case of oreos. Those are my opinions, just wait til fred crits then you'll be fine.

[tyron]

Heh! you look like Mad

[TheMilkMan]

That's messed up tyron.....hey pretty good pic....

[tyron]

Sorry, i really thinks it's a good pic. Although i still thinks he looks a bit like Mad, not on the reference though.

I agree with Above, you should not use the black color for the shadows.
I like the detail.

there's just one more thing that i don't like, isn't the eyes a bit small compared to the reference?

Sorry.

[opticillusion]

Bug: I tilted the whole face a tad to the left, so that's why the right ear is a bit lower, and the nose and chin are a bit to the right. But you're right, the do look a bit funny.
above: Actually, I didn't use black for shading, and din't use the darken or lighten tool once. I picked the color for what value was in shadow, and shaded with that.
MilkMan: Thanks
Tyron: Who's Mad?! I searched the photo posts, and no one by Mad posted....unless I missed it. I probably am just forgetting who they are. Anyway, I redrew the eyes three times to get them looking like they are now, yet still......arg!

I tried using the method suggested by spooge, and by others saying that you should get your black and white done first, or silhoutte in this case. Then, I used very hard brushes and worked in the shapes. But then it just wasn't looking right, so I turned to the soft brushes to smooth everything out. What I was trying to get to is a realistic rendering, that when shrunk, looked highly detailed and everything, but when actual size, looked like a painting, not an airbrushy big version of the smaller one. The problem with that is, that when I go and back changes, any thing that's not smooth will end up standing out. So that dissapointed me, and I'm inclined to do a redraw on top of this one, ah, I don't know.

Any help on technique would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks

edit>> and yeah, I forgot to brush me teeth, wups

[This message has been edited by opticillusion (edited November 12, 2000).]

[shardik]

whoa those teeth look pretty real

[Dryfire]

Madtv!! Looks cool! hmm, he does look a bit "dirty" though

------------------
-=DryFire=-
'Reality is just a dream'
GoD Graphics

[Bugscratch]

I think the problem is that while the lower part of the face (mouth & chin) is tilted to the left, the upper part (nose, eyes, forehead) is not. Maybe you could work on that a little.

-bugscratch

[tyron]

come on, everyone know MAD.
it's that comic from the 70's i think
you can see him here http://www.warnerbros.com/pages/madmagazine/home.jsp
it's the guy on the left.
it wasn't that similar anyway..
and it wasn't very nice said by me neither
sorry again.

[TheMilkMan]

Hey shardik arn't you getting a little Deliverence on us...you got a pretty mouth boy :P

[Speve-o-matic]

Well, I think if you want to show your talents properly ditch the photo and really sit down and look at yourself in the mirror and redo the self portrait completely without photoreference.

It would be far more beneficial to you . . . I feel.

This seems to be a wierd hybrid between copying from a photo and looking at yourself in a mirror. Thats why I think the proportions are odd. The ears, your smile, essentialy your pose, is taken from the photo. Bad.

I want to see what you looked like while you were painting this.

Just being honest.

- Steve

[marc_taro]

It's pretty good, I wouldn't be embarrased to show it. But I would work on the shadows. Your shadow color is a bit 'dirty' (ie: blackish) and monochromoatic. Shadows on the face have color, use cool greys or very warm reds and violets. Take a look at all the color on some of the Gouache heads we've seen here in the last few days. Personaly I would use a harder brush. The edge control here is a bit fuzzy. But it's a solid start.
Btw you look very much like my cousin John - he has an aysmmetrical chin too.

[YourMum]

Hi! I like tones on this one though some individual places look a bit plastic. I think that your basic lines and areas are good painted and proportions are quite nice. I agree with above about bit muddy look.

Hmm.. I think you could play with shading/shadows a bit more. In some places you have looked at the shadowing on the picture but forgot the basic forms.

This is very nice tho. Cool hair and teeth.

-Juha-

[Tinusch]

His name isn't MAD... It's Alfred E. Newman. MAD is the name of the magazine.

[opticillusion]

Yup, you're right Tinusch. Hearing Mad I thought it was someone in here's nick.

Well, from what I've heard and from looking at what I should do, I think I'll abandon this one as my self-portrait, and try to come up with a better one tonight.

From what I have known, there's two sorts of self-portraits. You have the kind like I've done, where you are simply capturing an expression or drawing yourself in whoever medium you want. Then, you have the other kind, which is to capture who you are as an artist. It is a portrait of you, the things you like or what you like to do, and not a portrait of the physical you even though you might have yourself in it. I think I will try and do one more on that side, cause the above one just isn't me. I never wear a suit! Only when I have to I guess...I just ran out of time last night and just threw it in there to get it done.

Also, I don't like what all of you have mentioned, the muddiness, plasticity, nose, tilt, and so on, so I will try to redraw this one with a bit more looseness, or go for the new canvas.

But I think if I've gotten you to think of Alfred when looking at it, hey...maybe I've accomplished something

If anyone can enlighten me on the technique, of what might have been easier, or which would have achieved better results, I would be interested to hear them, thanks.