evaluation of self-portrait project

1. EVALUATION OF
SUMMER
PROJECT:
SELF-PORTRAIT
Erin Middleton 8280

2. INITIAL SOURCES OF RESEARCH
Sources of research include several paintings from
the national portrait gallery, all of the paintings that I
have researched used different techniques. The first
painting that I looked into uses bold colours and strong
lines to interoperate a message of solidarity. The
second painting that I looked into and created a larger
painting , this painting shows a woman on a window
ledge , this painting aided my development of my
portrait as it showed me the use of tone and shade in
artwork. The final painting I researched into shows a
woman in a coat that uses many different tones of
oranges and browns. The artists that I looked at where
Alex Katz, Louis Leopold Boilly and Brain Sayers.

3. PORTRAIT DEVELOPMENT
• I used drawing to develop my portrait designs as I
sketched out three initial designs so I could try different
spacing and composition for my portrait. I developed
my initial ideas by suggesting ways to improve my
initial design ideas, through the use of varied colours
and backgrounds. I was aiming for a simple yet realistic
looking portrait which emulated some of the techniques
used by Alex Katz who uses solid colours which contrast
the colours of the person he is painting. I used materials
such as acrylic pain and thicker and thinner paint
brushes to create a textured background. This helped
the look of my portrait and developed it from my initial
ideas into something more detailed and textural.
Additionally I also shoed the development of my
portrait through a series of photos which clearly show
each stage of the process of creating my portrait.

4. FINAL PORTRAIT
• Throughout this project I have learnt that using
pencil and a thin base layer of paint is extremely
important to ensure that the painting is opaque and
proportionally correct. During the process of
painting my self portrait I found the eyes and the
eyelashes a real challenge as the canvas I was using
had a uneven texture so there for made it extremely
difficult to paint the eyes and eyelashes due to there
size. However I over came this by using a tiny paint
brush and adding a few more layers of paint as it
made the surface more even. I learnt that the use of
colour when creating a portrait is important as it
communicates emotions. I learnt that using a base
layer is important to add an opaque quality to the
painting.

5. REFLECTING ON YEAR 1
• Reflecting on last year I think that the projects
that were most important to my learning experiences
were the fashion based projects as it has allowed me to
enhance some of my graphics and design skills. The
poster project has especially enhanced my graphic
design skills and made me more confident when using
a computer to create artwork. Additionally I projects
where I was able to decode what I wanted to create
have enhanced my decision making skills and my
creativity. I think I need to work on my analytical skills
when reviewing my work to help myself get better
understanding of the end result.
• In the future I want to study fashion at university as it is
a passion of mine, due to this I will tailor all of my work
this year to support a fashion based outcome