I recently found these self portrait drawings from around 1980. An eyeglasses wearer from age 6, it’s always a challenge to draw my own face from life. I need the glasses to SEE but they get in the way of my face. So drawing my own face without glasses is always a challenging compromise.

This photo of me dates from the same time as the drawings above, around 1980. I remember that long dark red hair girl and all her adventures fondly…

This palette knife self portrait painting below is from around 2014, painted without my glasses in natural daylight, painted from life. Sure it would be easier to paint from photographs but it’s not the same thing at all. Painting from direct observation challenges and delights the brain and trains the eye, a win-win! Sure the face has softened and the hair is no longer red or pink but I’m still pretty happy with the face I see in the mirror. It’s the only one I’ve got…

Digital painting self portraits below from 2019. Procreate app on iPad with apple pencil.

I tackled these two self portrait drawings first thing in the morning before breakfast, one day and then the next, challenging myself to paint daily when cold winter weather made being inside very appealing.

Published 2019/04/05