How to Paint a Picture of Yourself
Whether you want to create a humble self-portrait or top Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait," the key to painting yourself lies in being honest with your own appearance. The temptation in drawing yourself will be to correct parts of yourself that you do not like, but a successful picture will depict you as you actually look to others.
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Things You'll Need
- Canvas
- Picture of yourself
- Differently sized brushes
- Oil or watercolor paints
- Pencil
- Camera
Instructions
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Take a picture of yourself with minimal background objects. You're trying to capture what you look like to others, so you want to have an objective image of yourself that doesn't rely on your imagination. Consider whether you want your picture to depict you looking at the camera or away from the camera.
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Place the picture next to your canvas so you may constantly refer to it while you are painting.
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Use a pencil to do a quick sketch of your image. Some painters, such as Joanne Moore, go as far as to suggest that you do a quick 15-minute painting of your face. This allows you to capture the overall image without allowing you to fuss over details.
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Paint over your sketch or initial image with more precise details. Be sure to remain faithful to your actual appearance. Don't fix or alter yourself; be honest with how you look.
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Seek advice from others. Ask them what they think or what they would change. This can help you hone in on the specific details that make your image unique.
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Tips & Warnings
Using oil will allow you to paint over an initial image, but watercolors only allow one layer. As a result, it is best to sketch your preliminary image if you're using watercolor.
Be open to redoing your portrait a few times. You will improve each time, and this will allow you to learn from your previous errors.
Feel free to take artistic liberties in your painting. You may want to do a more abstract rendering of your image or infuse your painting with strange colors or patterns.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
