Skip to main content

Self Portraits


Studying 

"Are you so in love with yourself that you paint self-portraits?"
"I won't paint myself; people might think I am too proud."
Have you ever heard comments like those? Well, I certainly have. 

Practising is what really important to develop your painting skills. As I now begin exploring portraiture, I need to practice painting heads, figures, and faces as much as I can. 

Making master copies of the works by painters you admire is a great way to learn. However, at a certain point, you need to create your own work, preferably painting a model with whom you have a personal or emotional connection. While we all have family and friends, there is little chance they would spend hours sitting for you in the light and setting you would want to capture. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to take or find a photograph of them that fits your portrait plans. 

That's if you are lucky. What if not? Fortunately, there is a brilliant and simple solution: a self-portrait. It's easy; you are always available, you know yourself inside and out, and you decide when and how to paint. Moreover, you are the only one to complain; you are the only judge. Ideal for practice. Ideal for learning. 

That's why many painters choose to paint self-portraits. Whether it reflects self-love or comes off as too prideful doesn't really matter. 

I will share the stories of my self-portraits here.



Self-portrait. Oil on canvas 40 x 30 cm. View the finished painting in my gallery



Self-portrait. Alla prima, oil on panel 40 x 30 cm. View the finished painting in my gallery

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Peaceful Fields, project completed

A very special commission indeed When I posted  this story in March   I still did not quite believe this project could ever be realised. Today I am  proud to tell and to show that the project was successfully completed and that I was honoured to play a small part in it.  But first things first. The most northern historical windmill in the Netherlands, called De Phenix, has been thoroughly restored and repurposed as a unique working both flour and oil mill with a large underground visiting area. Dozens of professionals and volunteers have been working hard for four years to make this happen. It became one of eight  Amelander Musea . Being a volunteer, I  was invited in February by the museum working group to collaborate in the design of the underground space of the mill. Besides the whole construction, I was particularly impressed by the very long concrete wall which I thought should stay just clear and unfurnished bearing only some decor...

You'll Get Over It

  What could possibly happen? Something tragic, I assume. I am sure you can imagine dozens of situations where this setting could be possible. Regret, revelation, anger, shock, despair, compassion, support, consolation, reassurance, forgiveness, unbelief, doubt, fear... All of these might apply to the people in this painting. And all these are actually expressed with hands. And there will be nothing of these when you think those hands away, I'm afraid.   This is another small one in my series Hands' Private Life. I painted it all prima with my limited palette of Burnt sienna, Ultramarine blue, Yellow ochre, Cadmium red and Titanium white. As reference, I used the photographs Paul and myself took of me and my hands, in four different settings.    While thinking about how to name this piece, with my music on, the Legacy by PSB suddenly started to playback. The lyrics were so true, my mood was quite down, and the title was chosen. (And first I was thinking of calli...

Master Copy

  Studying  I believe that practice is the best form of learning, and master copying is the most effective to practice while studying. Since we always (aspire to) learn, I find that copying a masterpiece that inspires you is an excellent method to achieve this.  In essence, master copying is not about creating perfect replicas; instead, it's about gaining a deeper understanding of artistic principles and techniques. It's a valuable tool for any artist seeking to improve their skills and expand their knowledge.  From time to time, I will update this post with my new master copies. Here is the latest one: May 2025 After J.C. Leyendecker painting "Couple on Deck Chairs. 1904" I have been fascinated by the works and biography of this great Golden Age artist for a long time. Recently, I finally read a beautiful book titled simply, "J.C. Leyendecker", written by Laurence S. Cutler and Judy Goffman Cutler. His name and influence were most prolific; his private life...