Painting Perceptions of Identity
Title: Tide Pool
Size: 60.96 cm by 91.44 cm
Material: Canvas and Acrylic Paint
Date of Completion: December 2022
Exhibition Text:
My painting titled ¨Tide Pool¨ is an exploration of myself and my connection with natural elements and water. This painting also explores the different aspects of my identity that I often do not feel as in tune with. For this project I painted a 2ft by 3ft canvas that was much larger than any painting I have ever worked on before. Painting is a medium that I am familiar with and enjoy very much however this project in particular pushed my skills and encouraged me to experiment numerous times.
Inspiration
This self portrait by Vincent van Gogh was very captivating to me and I felt very inspired by it for my own self portrait. I liked the use of lighting in this piece. How the artist chose to position themselves in such a way that the light only hits one half of the face. This is what inspired me to choose to take a photo of myself with sunlight that streaks across half of my face. I like how one of his eyes is lighter then the other and that the face takes up the majority of the image but you can still see his sholders and shirt. I chose a similar angle for my piece as well and took inspiration from the way Vincent van Gogh portrayed streaked strokes of light paint as highlights in his hair. I like this specific self portrait by van Gogh even more then some of the others because I find the expression on his face to be very interesting and hard to gage. I think the expression is soft yet stern at the same time. I went for a similar expression in my self portrait. I think this adds the the tone of both pieces.
Self Portrait Without Beard by Vincent Van Gogh
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Planning
For my reference photo I decided I wanted an image of myself that had unique lighting. In order to achieve this I went to the room in my house that gets the most sunlight and took several photos of myself from different angles.At first I couldn't decide whether I wanted a shot from straight on or from an angle but I realized I could achieve a interesting effect by turning my head slighty so that the sunlight only hit half of my face. I had a hard time with the sunlight completely upping the brightness of the entire image so I had to take multiple in order to get the natural look I was going for. An issue I had with this photo however was the complexity of the background. I felt that including the chandelier, table, and windows could distract from the theme I wanted to display so I ultimately chose to paint the original background in this photo on my painting.
I decided to sketch images of both my face simply as it is and also with the overlay-ed lines that I wanted to include. I did this in order to come up with the best positioning of the blocks of color so that it flowed well with the features of my face. Originally I wanted to split the blue section into three parts but I ended up deciding that I liked the idea of one solid grey section and one blue wavy line section. Another stage in my planning process was deciding what colors and patterns I wanted to use. I already had ideas about what I wanted the different colored sections to represent so I began experimenting and testing colors in my sketchbook to see how they would look together. Part of my color choice was based on aesthetic however I wanted them each to have a meaning and contribute to the overall theme of my piece.
In this sketchbook planning page I explored multiple ways that I could portray the initial vision I had for this project. I knew that I wanted to include some form of organic wavy lines that portrayed water. However I did not initially decide I wanted the lines to cut across the face. I felt that in this stage of planning it was crucial for me to draw the photo I had taken of myself so that I could have a better understanding of my facial features. I rarely sketch portraits and almost never sketch myself so I wanted to feel better prepared for the initial sketch I would have to transfer onto the canvas. I used some watered down acrylic paint to practice shading on a zoomed in portion of my eyes. I knew I wanted my eyes to be a vocal point of the painting and wanted to properly paint the way the sunlight changed the coloration of one of my eyes. So this quick painting was very beneficial in understanding the way the light hit my face and the ways I could use shadows and gradient in this portion od my face. In this part of the planning stage I discovered that hair was a very difficult thing for me to sketch. I then decided that it would make sense to portion out my hair into sections and large areas in my canvas sketch so that I would have to go into detail until I started painting.
Sketchbook Planning Page 1
Process
Making a Canvas
I made my own canvas using four wood stretcher bars, and canvas material. I connected the stretcher bars together and cut out a piece of canvas that was about two inches away from the bar. I stretched the canvas over each bar one by one and stapled it around the entire back edge. I was having a difficult time with the stapler gun at first but eventually I got the hang of it and was able to quickly finished stapling around the entire frame. I also had to get help from a friend so that they could gently pull the opposite edge of each side to prevent any wrinkles in my canvas. Next, I cut off the access and began to prime the canvas. To prime my canvas, I painted on two layers of Gesso which also tightened the canvas around the frame.
Grid Method
I next used the grid method to transfer my sketch over to the canvas. I had some difficulty with this step of the process because I had only done the grid method once before and at a much smaller scale. First, I printed out the image of myself that I was using as my reference and measured out lines that separated it into equal squares. I had to do some math to determine the size I needed the boxes to be on my canvas, but I was able to figure it out and use a ruler and pencil to draw each line.
Painting
I began my painting by mixing some of my paint with water in order to create a wash or color on the canvas. I wanted to start with the portion of my face that was my natural skin color because I thought it would take the longest to complete. The wash of color served as a base for me to begin layering color over top. I started with the darkest shadows and built up to the highlights. I was very unfamiliar with a painting of this size and it required me to be very intentional about the colors I was using the making sure I was being consistent with the undertones. I had a difficult tine replicating some of my colors when I would return to my painting a day or two later. The most meticulous part of the entire painting process was the small details in areas such as the eyes, mouth, and hair. I tried to be as precise as possible with the colors I was using and ended up going over these areas many times tying to perfect the shading and lighting. I had to purchase finer paint brushes to achieve the higher level of detail that I was going for. After I finished that section of my face I moved on the the black and white section. This section presented its own set of challenges for me because I had never done a black and white portrait before. I had to mix many different shades of grey to achieve the gradients and display the streaks of sunlight across the left side of my face. I had a harder time with detail in this section but ultimately was able to complete all the elements.
I began my painting by mixing some of my paint with water in order to create a wash or color on the canvas. I wanted to start with the portion of my face that was my natural skin color because I thought it would take the longest to complete. The wash of color served as a base for me to begin layering color over top. I started with the darkest shadows and built up to the highlights. I was very unfamiliar with a painting of this size and it required me to be very intentional about the colors I was using the making sure I was being consistent with the undertones. I had a difficult tine replicating some of my colors when I would return to my painting a day or two later. The most meticulous part of the entire painting process was the small details in areas such as the eyes, mouth, and hair. I tried to be as precise as possible with the colors I was using and ended up going over these areas many times tying to perfect the shading and lighting. I had to purchase finer paint brushes to achieve the higher level of detail that I was going for. After I finished that section of my face I moved on the the black and white section. This section presented its own set of challenges for me because I had never done a black and white portrait before. I had to mix many different shades of grey to achieve the gradients and display the streaks of sunlight across the left side of my face. I had a harder time with detail in this section but ultimately was able to complete all the elements.
When I finished with painting my entire face it was time for me to start painting the large organic blue lines that swept across the right side of my face. To begin this process I painting a light grey/blue wash of color on the area I wanted to be blue. I did this by mixing some water in with the paint. This allowed me to have a base layer of color so that I would need so many coats of the final colors. Next I added a solid navy line that went along the entire edge of the section. In the same dark navy color I then added lines to separate the three portions of this section where lines would be later layers on top. For the many layers of overlapping blue lines I took inspiration from both ocean waves and the inside of tree trunks. I wanted this section to feel very organic and natural so I tried not to be too precise and rather focus on the flow of the lines and composition. I added many shades of blues and grey with highlights of light blue separating some of the layers. Overall I really like how this section turned out and I think it made my piece much more dynamic.
Experimentation
This was my first time ever attempting a painting of this size so throughout the process I went through many stages of experimentation. Since I was attempting to paint a close up shot of my face I worked on trying different methods to interpret the smaller details and transfer them to my painting. The shirt I had on in my reference photo was knitted material and has small inconsistent holes and gaps in the yarn. I was at first very hesitant about attempting to paint a shirt like this because there were so many small details. However through experimentation with different colors and brushes I was able to come up with a pattern of overlapping wavy lines in different shades of purple that I felt suggested the pattern of the sweater without requiring me to fully paint each strand of yarn individually. I also like that the small intricate patten compliments the bold organic swirling blue lines on the right of the painting.
Critique
Similarities:
Between the three pieces there are many similarities. In regards to composition I think between the Frida Kahlo piece and my own there is a shared use of natural elements that are position around the person. In my piece and the Vincent van Gogh self portrait the angle at which the face was painting in intentional and similar. I also used sunlight that reflect the way that van Gogh's piece does. Both paintings have half of the face that is light up more than the other. Lighting is key feature in the overall tone of these two pieces. Frida's piece very dynamic and intricate like my piece. The various layers of lines and highlights in the abstract water of my piece is similar to the layered leaves in hers. They both have bright captivating colors that still share a similar undertone. I took inspiration for the way Frida and van Gogh both scultpt the features of their face. The shadows are not heavy and necessarily obvious but there are still somewhat bold paint strokes that define their features just like my self portrait.
Differences:
There are a few differences between my two inspiration pieces by Frida Kahlo and Vincent van Gogh and my own self portrait. Firstly I think between van Gogh piece and my own there is an evident difference use of brush stroke to convey style. Van Gogh uses long streaky brushstrokes that are close together to represent light and shadows while in my peace I focused more so on smooth blending and thin lines to outline features. There is also a difference in the abstract element of my piece which is the large organic lines that represent water. The other two pieces do not posses an element that is as evidently abstract. Frida's piece also features multiple animals whereas my piece only shows one human face and no other creatures. The background of Frida's piece is also more complex and intricate then the background of my portrait.
Between the three pieces there are many similarities. In regards to composition I think between the Frida Kahlo piece and my own there is a shared use of natural elements that are position around the person. In my piece and the Vincent van Gogh self portrait the angle at which the face was painting in intentional and similar. I also used sunlight that reflect the way that van Gogh's piece does. Both paintings have half of the face that is light up more than the other. Lighting is key feature in the overall tone of these two pieces. Frida's piece very dynamic and intricate like my piece. The various layers of lines and highlights in the abstract water of my piece is similar to the layered leaves in hers. They both have bright captivating colors that still share a similar undertone. I took inspiration for the way Frida and van Gogh both scultpt the features of their face. The shadows are not heavy and necessarily obvious but there are still somewhat bold paint strokes that define their features just like my self portrait.
Differences:
There are a few differences between my two inspiration pieces by Frida Kahlo and Vincent van Gogh and my own self portrait. Firstly I think between van Gogh piece and my own there is an evident difference use of brush stroke to convey style. Van Gogh uses long streaky brushstrokes that are close together to represent light and shadows while in my peace I focused more so on smooth blending and thin lines to outline features. There is also a difference in the abstract element of my piece which is the large organic lines that represent water. The other two pieces do not posses an element that is as evidently abstract. Frida's piece also features multiple animals whereas my piece only shows one human face and no other creatures. The background of Frida's piece is also more complex and intricate then the background of my portrait.
Reflection
Overall I am very proud of my final self portrait. When I initially received this assignment I was hesitant to painting an up-close portrait because I knew it would require a high level of detail and precision. However I decided that it would be a good challenge of my artistic skills and it would defiantly add to the theme I was trying to portray. Once I started painting I constantly wanted to adjust elements and add small details here and there which is partially why I feel this project was so rigorous because it was so ongoing and often it was hard to feel like it would ever reach completion. Even now I still feel there are small things I want to add and change to up the level of detail. This painting took me almost 3 weeks to finish and was definitely one of the more time consuming art projects I have ever worked on. I also feel it required the most effort of any art project I've done before. However it was so rewarding to finally finish it and reflect upon all the work I had put in A limitation I had with this project was the quality of the paint I was using. I did not purchase any new paint for this project and therefor it was very difficult to achieve the look I was going for in some areas. The paint brand I was using was not opaque so I had to add many layers to each section and it also prevented me from obtaining the rich colors I was envisioning. I really enjoyed being able to come up with a theme for this project and implementing some creative elements and interpreting my ideas into the art. I feel my painting is unique and has qualities that make the piece able to be interpreted so that it could mean something different to each person.
ACT Questions
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
In order to display the influence of my inspiration pieces on my painting I portrayed a similar positioning of my figure, overall composition, and tone.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
There is an innate connection inside as all between ourselves and the natural world. There is also many layers of each individuals personality that are exhibited differently. These layers impact the difference between our perception of ourselves and the way others may perceive us.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have reached the conclusion that humans are not simple beings. We are all very complex and therefor it is impossible to fully understand yourself and potential. I also can conclude that it can be unhealthy to dwell or fixate on trying to control the way others view you. Ultimately if you are satisfied with the way you present yourself as a person that it what should matter most and will lead to a better feeling of contentment.
4) What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my painting is that there are aspects of everyone that we are ashamed of and wish to keep hidden. These traits may dictate the way we are perceived and prevent people from being able to recognize our positive traits. My piece is about encouraging ourselves to recognize that we are all like a tide pool and that we must look underneath the surface of our personality to find who we really are.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
It is easy to feel defined by the parts of yourself that you feel are negative, however in reality we all can be more than what's wrong with us.
In order to display the influence of my inspiration pieces on my painting I portrayed a similar positioning of my figure, overall composition, and tone.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
There is an innate connection inside as all between ourselves and the natural world. There is also many layers of each individuals personality that are exhibited differently. These layers impact the difference between our perception of ourselves and the way others may perceive us.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have reached the conclusion that humans are not simple beings. We are all very complex and therefor it is impossible to fully understand yourself and potential. I also can conclude that it can be unhealthy to dwell or fixate on trying to control the way others view you. Ultimately if you are satisfied with the way you present yourself as a person that it what should matter most and will lead to a better feeling of contentment.
4) What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my painting is that there are aspects of everyone that we are ashamed of and wish to keep hidden. These traits may dictate the way we are perceived and prevent people from being able to recognize our positive traits. My piece is about encouraging ourselves to recognize that we are all like a tide pool and that we must look underneath the surface of our personality to find who we really are.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
It is easy to feel defined by the parts of yourself that you feel are negative, however in reality we all can be more than what's wrong with us.
MLA Citations
Nickerson, Charlotte. “What Is Self-Image and How Do We Improve It?” SimplyPhycology , 28 Apr. 2022, https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-image.html.
“Van Gogh's Self-Portraits.” Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh Museum , https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-van-goghs-self-portraits.
“Van Gogh's Self-Portraits.” Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh Museum , https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-van-goghs-self-portraits.