Digital Sketches

I digitally sketched out my plan for an oil or acrylic canvas self-portrait painting. I have done traditional gouache sketch painting, oil painting and graphite on paper sketches to try to illustrate my self-portrait from life. I find that drawing/painting from life is extremely difficult as I am the worst sitter for myself (can’t stop moving and can’t get back into the same exact position each time!) so I fired myself as my model and decided to illustrate off a photo. (Please let me know if you want to see my horrendous attempts because I have the photo evidence, I’m just too embarrassed to post them) I will create the final piece off of a photo reference (doesn’t necessary have to be this one if my expression doesn’t work well with the message I am trying to make).

So the main idea is to show my mindset about the current pandemic we are in. I wanted to try to create a mixed media piece with traditional painting on canvas but then sewing threads into the canvas either just in the background with COVID-19 viruses (that can sewn in to give an almost flowery texture, or even create the shape of the viruses but with colorful flowers that make it), or directly onto the painted surface itself. I was playing around with the idea of sewing a translucent fabric such as mesh for my mask (yes I know not CDC recommended), but then embroidering that mesh mask with flowers.

The message I am thinking about getting across is that even though I may be completely fed up with how life currently is (with my facial expression), there are still beautiful moments during this time. For me, it’s been an especially creative time and I wanted to show that with this piece.