Assignment 4 - project 2 - self portrait

This called for  a self-portrait,  something I have always been uncomfortable with.  I did some research first looking at paintings, drawings and prints.  My first impression of the self portraits that I found were of very confrontational pieces - this is obvious,  of course, that when one is concentrating on looking in a mirror, ones gaze is likely to be quite intense. Those using photographs can be gentler and more forgiving.

 I started with some drawings looking into a mirror and just as I expected I looked quite fierce, realising that when I concentrate, as several people have commented in the past, I look very bad tempered. But a charcoal drawing was quite effective - I thought originally because of the soft media but perhaps I was starting to relax 










I then tried using a photograph for inspiration. This was a  kinder image because of the faint smile.

When undertaking the research I did come across some self portraits that incorporated images giving an impression of the personality of the artist,so I chose a photograph showing me relaxed and reading - oblivious of the world - a very natural state for me

Recent drawing courses and research into mark making has developed into an interest in a primary working in charcoal - adding and subtracting from my drawings and because this process can be duplicated to a degree, I decided on mono prints for this project.

 I have worked on mono prints quite a bit but haven't tried portraits in this medium so did some experimentation with  paper weights and the effects with hand burnishing and putting the print through the press. I also had to consider the matrix, finding that the plastic matrix I had were either too large or to small for what I wanted to do,  I ended up with using a thin sheet of acetate for the matrix.  This worked fine but had to be attached quite firmly to the workbench while I worked on it. I also completed a couple of mark making exercises  which I found useful as a warm up.   The weather was quite hot during the actual printing process and I found that the ink was much harder to work so also had to experiment with ink consistency.  I found that thinner papers worked much better for hand burnishing and also, to a less extent in the press.

The first prints were based on drawing 3 done from life. The drawing is quite soft, created with charcoal but adding and subtracting as the drawing developed so the monprint  was basically painted using a brush and hand burnished so are quite soft and . I especially like the brush marks in the hair.

I was finding the ink consistency a problem in very warm conditions - difficult to manipulate and becoming tacky very quickly.

The second set of prints is based on a drawing from a photograph.  

Since the drawing was less tonal, I  decided to use back drawing for the print   A slightly better likeness I feel and showing a different aspect of my personality.  I made a deliberate choice to eliminate some details such as around the glasses as I tried to bring some of the experimenting that I have been undertaking in drawings into the prints.  This is something that I have decided that I want to build on in the future.

Finally I chose another photograph as inspiration. This one showed me reading - a lifelong passion.  I decided to use back drawing again for the print but added more tone as a deliberate choice rather than mainly line as in portrait two.

As an exercise in self portraiture I didn't enjoy it, but I did enjoy it as a study exploring mono printing.

None of the prints are successful as likenesses but I think all are effective as prints in different ways and could be worked on in mixed media to develop them. Because of how uncomfortable I feel drawing myself from life, I think the prints from drawings taken from photographs are more successful, I feel they are more relaxed - the tension I felt in drawing the self portrait from life is shown in the print.

Reflections on the project

• I still don't like self portraits but am a bit more comfortable with them and feel I would benefit both drawing and printing self portraits as part of a series.  
• I think it would have been useful to have tried a print directly from life
• I experimented with ink consistency and spent some time exploring this.  The later prints benefit in quality I think due to the thinner more even coverage of the matrix.
• I decided to revisit this at a later stage when I had finished printing another project and had some ink left.  The weather was cooler and the ink was easier to manipulate .Although one of the prints  is crooked - something I didn't notice until it had been printed - I like the variety of mark making.  The other print was developed using a q-tip and I again find the mark making interesting 

Developments

I made 17 prints in all over this project and intend working on some of these in pastel/paint or ink - I want to see how far I can push the images.