Artwork: Self Portrait
" The Blues "
Medium: Acrylic paint on Gesso Canvas
Size: 91.44 cm x 91.44 cm
Date: October 2017
Medium: Acrylic paint on Gesso Canvas
Size: 91.44 cm x 91.44 cm
Date: October 2017
Exhibition Text
Although this piece is an self portrait, it doesn't exclude the underlining meaning. In my painting I had wanted to give the expression of sadness. Although not completely using different tones of blue's I had wanted to include a sense of overcoming shadow within the left side. I had used most of my inspiration from Matisse's Self Portrait and the Baroque movement.
Planning
Artistic Inspiration
I had used most of my inspiration from Matisse's self portrait. While researching I had found that Henri's piece was mostly consisted with his Fauvism period. The Fauvism movement had started in the twentieth- century in modern day art. Henri Matisse had been one of the main "leaders," of the artists that had used bold colors to express any light and space within a piece. Which is what I had wanted to mainly take away from the artist Matisse himself. I had been extremely influenced by the intense colors he had chosen to represent light versus shadows. Although within my painting I didn't want to incorporate Matisse's form for his structural appearance, which seems very abstract. Which is why I had used Bernini's Baroque technique of quick brush strokes and high light on the right of my face. I wanted to use the movements of Realism and Fauvism and combine them to show strong contrasts.
From Bernini's Self Portrait I had noticed that his use of technique had came from the Baroque movement and I had used that to incorporate into my Self portrait. The baroque movement had developed in the 1600's mostly consists of exaggerated movement and clear realism in many works of art. In Bernini's Self Portrait expresses very realistic use of contrasts with highlights versus shadows. The value of shadows increase to the left of his face. I had used that in the sense that the value of my shadows came from the left of my face and the value decreased to the right. Bernini's use of color is primarily cool browns, tans, and toned down colors. I used both Bernini and Matisse's use of color to combine and create an overall of cool toned colors. My whole thought process was to include both of these portraits to create a combination of Fauvism and Realism. I wanted Matisse's bold colors and Bernini's use of creating a piece where I am truthful subject matter.
From Bernini's Self Portrait I had noticed that his use of technique had came from the Baroque movement and I had used that to incorporate into my Self portrait. The baroque movement had developed in the 1600's mostly consists of exaggerated movement and clear realism in many works of art. In Bernini's Self Portrait expresses very realistic use of contrasts with highlights versus shadows. The value of shadows increase to the left of his face. I had used that in the sense that the value of my shadows came from the left of my face and the value decreased to the right. Bernini's use of color is primarily cool browns, tans, and toned down colors. I used both Bernini and Matisse's use of color to combine and create an overall of cool toned colors. My whole thought process was to include both of these portraits to create a combination of Fauvism and Realism. I wanted Matisse's bold colors and Bernini's use of creating a piece where I am truthful subject matter.
Brainstorming
Sketch #1- The photo I had used was a profile of me with the left side of my head slanted towards the left. Which is similar to my inspiration for Henri Matisse. I had decided to use this photo and transfer it onto my canvas because it was similar towards what I was aiming for with Matisse. The position of Matisse had influenced me to want to portray the same dominating pose.
Sketch #2- For my second sketch I had referenced Matisse's bold blue shadows and decided to take upon the same idea. Which is where I laid out and labeled where I wanted the colors to be imposed and where I wanted the realistic shadows and highlights to start. Although my second sketch isn't highly detailed I wanted to have a generalization of what my lay out was going to be.
Sketch #3- As I had finished my second sketch I had started to do a small doodle of Henri Matisse's self portrait because I was using most of his piece as my inspiration I wanted to know where the blue shadows were hitting his face. Instead of doing the whole face blue highlights and shadows I decided to do a "half and half," of a Baroque style and Henri Matisse's Fauvism painting.
Sketch #2- For my second sketch I had referenced Matisse's bold blue shadows and decided to take upon the same idea. Which is where I laid out and labeled where I wanted the colors to be imposed and where I wanted the realistic shadows and highlights to start. Although my second sketch isn't highly detailed I wanted to have a generalization of what my lay out was going to be.
Sketch #3- As I had finished my second sketch I had started to do a small doodle of Henri Matisse's self portrait because I was using most of his piece as my inspiration I wanted to know where the blue shadows were hitting his face. Instead of doing the whole face blue highlights and shadows I decided to do a "half and half," of a Baroque style and Henri Matisse's Fauvism painting.
Process
Step #1- I had created a 3ft by 3 ft canvas using canvas and four frames. The frames fit together like puzzle pieces which made it easy to put together. I laid the canvas over the frame and left about 3 inches so it would fold in the back once stapled.
Step #2- Gesso the whole canvas about 3 times to ensure that the paint won't seep through. Step #3- I painted a solid nude color excluding my body because of Henri Matisse's inspiration. Step #4-I laid down my lightest and darkest skin tones on the right of my face. And on the the left I did the lightest and darkest shades of cool colors. Step #4- After I was done with my whole face and was satisfied, I did a was for my hair and started laying cool blues, light red browns, and dark cool browns in my hair. Step #5- Once the hair was finished I had painted different tones of turquoise for my shirt. Step #6- For the background I went over the tan with a bright orange, red- orange, and yellow to create a wavy like movement. |
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Skills and Techniques
As I was painting I had figured out how to thin my paint so the paint wasn't as thick. I watered down my paint throughout my whole painting because of the blue tones I had wanted to incorporate on the left side of my face. But, I still had wanted to show my skin tones and browns as well. So i would lay my skin tones and browns for my right side going tin to the left. Before making my washes of blue and green tones.
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Reflection
Critique
After carrying out my Self Portrait I had learned many new techniques with acrylic paint that I haven't used before. I had even experimented with colors that are more neon to create a highlight for my more blue toned side of my face. Since this piece was so large it had given me room to explore different colors of paint, in which I used very bright colors with the blue tones on my face and the orange, yellows in the background. Yet, I mixed these colors with neutrals to make the colors pop out even more dramatically. Overall I really like how my piece turned out. Although I do believe that I could have created more texture in my shirt to make it more realistic and a little more development of form as well. I also could agree that my hair wasn't as presented as it could have been. Which is to appear to be the movement of the hair braided.
Compare and Contrast
I had used Henri Matisse's color pallet because I loved how he used a bold choice of use of color for his highlights and shadows. Although instead of making my technique very patchy and a impression of shadows and highlights together. I had decided to do a Baroque type of technique and create a dramatic difference between shadows and highlights. Instead of being patchy I wanted it to be very smooth and realistic. I used Bernini's cool and warm tones with the skin color and use the cooler tones to bring forward the warm highlights on my face, particularly the right side of my face. Although I had still wanted to use Matisse's form of his shoulders and how his shirt lays on them. Although my shirt was different and the folds are evident aside from Matisse's, they have a slight similarity.
Experimentation
After finishing my body and face of my portrait I had played with my background because it had seemed too plain for my liking. I had used a contrasting color to my blues and greens. In which was orange, yellow, and red. At first I had only done a rusty orange wash for my background and created darker oranges in some parts of the background. But, since most of the browns I had used were a brown red-ish, so I darkened the browns with a more black- brown. I then decided that my background was still not interesting and with my paint picked up yellow and red paint. I did not blend and just put the paint on the canvas and made small movements to look like long streaks.
ACT Responses
What is the overall approach ( point of view) the author has regard to the topic of your inspiration?
- The overall approach the author has about my topic of my inspiration is to be informative and communicate specific information to the viewer. Which I had used to my advantage in order to clearly pass information on.
- What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc, while you researched your inspiration?
- The conclusion I made about the artists I have researched is that the artists within my movements had been very dramatic in both movements.
- What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
- The central idea around my inspirational research is that the information that I found explained everything that the artists were related to.
- What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
- While reading my research I had tried to conclude simple facts about my inspirations and generalized facts.
Bibliography
“Henri Matisse: Self-Portrait.” Statens Museum for Kunst, www.smk.dk/en/explore-the-art/highlights/henri-matisse-self-portrait/.
“Fauvism Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-fauvism.htm.
Self-Portrait as a Young Man by BERNINI, Gian Lorenzo, www.wga.hu/html_m/b/bernini/gianlore/painting/selfpor1.html.
Jeannie923, et al. “Tom Jones Watercolor Palette.” Default Store View, 23 Aug. 2017, www.jerrysartarama.com/art-paints/painting-supplies/palettes/watercolor-and-fluid-media-palettes/tom-jones-watercolor-palette.
McKay, Brett & Kate. “Baroque Art Basics.” The Art of Manliness, 15 Dec. 2015, www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/18/the-basics-of-art-the-baroque-period/.
Jessie Oleson Moore on July 24, 2015 Favorited Add to Favorites. “13 Must- Know Acrylic Painting Techniques for Beginners.” The Craftsy Blog, 20 Oct. 2017, www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/07/acrylic-painting-techniques-for-beginners/.
“Fauvism Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-fauvism.htm.
Self-Portrait as a Young Man by BERNINI, Gian Lorenzo, www.wga.hu/html_m/b/bernini/gianlore/painting/selfpor1.html.
Jeannie923, et al. “Tom Jones Watercolor Palette.” Default Store View, 23 Aug. 2017, www.jerrysartarama.com/art-paints/painting-supplies/palettes/watercolor-and-fluid-media-palettes/tom-jones-watercolor-palette.
McKay, Brett & Kate. “Baroque Art Basics.” The Art of Manliness, 15 Dec. 2015, www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/18/the-basics-of-art-the-baroque-period/.
Jessie Oleson Moore on July 24, 2015 Favorited Add to Favorites. “13 Must- Know Acrylic Painting Techniques for Beginners.” The Craftsy Blog, 20 Oct. 2017, www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/07/acrylic-painting-techniques-for-beginners/.