Self Portrait

I virtually toured the National Gallery in the UK. 

Screen shot of website

Self-Portrait at age 63. Rembrandt, 1669

Self Portrait at the Age of 34
1640, Rembrandt

Self Portrait in a Straw Hat
after 1782, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Picture of me

Self-Portrait

1)      I chose the three pieces I did because there from what I have noticed, seem to be fewer self-portraits of female artists than men. Therefore I chose the one of woman, seeing as I am female, so it’s much easier to use that perspective. The Rembrandts were chosen because I’d only seen the one of him as a younger man, and it was interesting to see him much older and how he had changed with time. So I put them together to compare them.

2)      I used pencil because it is a media I often chose and it’s one I have the best control over, therefore I thought I could get the best product from it.

3)      The challenges I faced were my lack of skill at drawing human women. I am pretty good at drawing men, but I have a hard time doing the softer features of woman. To overcome this I tried using a harder lead, I started with a 3H pencil and used that and then outlined with an HB one. I also made sure to make eyebrows thinner and slim the jaw. It also helped to keep the pencil extremely sharp to not make too thick lines.

4)      It represents me in that is a realistic drawing of me. It is what I mostly look like, so I went for the more literal than symbolic representation of myself.

5)      I used value in the shading, line in the construction of it and my glasses, and shape for the glasses also.

6)      I liked looking at other self-portraits, but did not really enjoy drawing myself as I kept getting frustrated with it.

7)      I think the final artwork is ok. It certainly isn’t my best, but for my lack of practice and hesitance going into it I think it turned out alright.

Links

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rembrandt-self-portrait-at-the-age-of-34

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/elisabeth-louise-vigee-le-brun-self-portrait-in-a-straw-hat

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rembrandt-self-portrait-at-the-age-of-63

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/