Self Analysis - Self Portrait

Process

For this painting, I decided to emulate the styles of Amy Sherald and ReJoy Amamento (a muralist based in Anchorage, AK). I choose these two artists because their styles are many similarities. They both use black and white for the body and use colors for everything else. I really enjoyed the dichotomy of this style.

Style Challenges

I found this self-portrait very challenging because I do not usually draw/paint people. However, I loved doing the background and clothing because they were in a much more illustrative style compared to the realism of the body. I have begun to experiment/sample with a more illustrative style, and I have found it challenging but also pretty freeing.

Struggles

One of the main struggles that I faced was with mixing my paints. I found the Liquitex Mars Black paint far too flat for my painting. I felt that it needed more depth, so I ended up mixing my own black instead. I spent a lot of time trying to successfully mix a warm-toned black. This was much harder than I thought it would be. I eventually realized that there was no quick way to get the colors I wanted — I just had to be patient with my paints.

Success

I think that the most successful part of my self-portrait is the background. I think the little details of this painting really made my self-portrait come together as one cohesive piece. One important note is that I did not invent the background; it was an original part of my reference picture. However, I did use a creative license while painting it. I really enjoyed this component of my work.

Reference Photographs

Sketchbook

Painting Process

Final Painting

Details