Self Portrait gouache and oils

[Blue Severin]

I guess this goes in the life painting thread?


Here's an 18x12painted self portrait. I'm starting to get into portraits, and thought I'd post some since all I've been doing is lurking lately. Gouache underpainting with oil over the top. colors a bit washed out because fo the lighting I took the pic in, I'll see if I can get a better one. Harsh C&C always welcome.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/blue_severin/selfb.jpg

[mentler]

Very nice work dude <> the composition has a couple of problems that will be easy to fix next time out ~~~

1) You have your head smack in the middle of the canvas which ain't necessarily that good of and idea.

Higher and to the left a little would seem to be a better position in most cases.

2) Decide where you want the viewer to focus <> the ear is a little big and is also coming forward a little to much!

Technically you are doing pretty well ~~~ try using larger brushes on your backgrounds and keep them less active so they don't compete with your image <> and work on your basis value structure a little more!

[Blue Severin]

Thanks for the crits. It's awesome that I can get crits from a SOFA guy. I just completed another self portrait for finals week, and I worked back into it using some of what you said. I had to fix the ear size (too small this time) and some of the values were off, but I think it's better than the last one. And it's three times bigger. There's some glare on it from the sun and a busy background, but I think it works all right. I look pissed off because I was working on til 4am a couple nights ago.

Oils on canvas 50"X37.5"

And this'll be back up when I fix it. It sucks when you've been staring at something for so long you don't see the mistakes.

[Blue Severin]

crap, looking at it now, the lips are too low in the second.