Self Portrait
Title: Self Portrait
Size: 91.44 cm x 91.44 cm (3ft x 3ft) Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Completion: April 2019 Exhibition TextSelf Portrait was inspired by Alphonse Mucha’s Daydream and Mucha’s Moët & Chandon Crémant Impérial. This painting incorporates elements from this artist as well as elements from my culture. The Chinese symbol behind me was inspired by the Lu Fu Shou symbols in Chinese culture. This piece was also created to show my pride in my culture.
|
Planning
Inspiration
“Alphonse Mucha Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, www.theartstory.org/artist-mucha-alphonse.htm.
|
Alphonse Mucha was a Czech artist who painted in the style of art Nouveau. He created many paintings, illustrations, and advertisements, mostly depicting women. He moved to Paris to continue his art, while creating his illustrations and producing a magazine.
The style of art nouveau was inspired by natural forms and structures like nature. Evidently, in many of Mucha's artwork, images of flowers and soft colors and hues are displayed both in the figures of the women and in the background. Mucha often had pictures of women in his art, illustrating the independence and freedom of women in that time. I really liked Mucha's style of art, and that's why I decided to emulate it for my self portrait. I loved the backgrounds of his pieces, and I knew I wanted to incorporate that style in my piece. My piece only pictures the bust, while Mucha's shows the whole body, but I really wanted to show the detail that Mucha included in these pieces. |
The other inspiration I had for this piece came from my Chinese culture. I knew I wanted to emulate Mucha's style for the background, but I really wanted to connect it more with my culture, so I decided to include a Chinese symbol in the background instead of some of the other circle patterns.
These were my handwritten notes I took regarding the Lu Fu Shou characters in Chinese culture.
|
“Fu Lu Shou.” Good Luck Symbols, 18 Mar. 2018, goodlucksymbols.com/fu-lu-shou/.
|
Sketches
These were my sketches I drew out in order to plan out how the portrait would look.
To create this sketch, I went on FireAlpaca with the Chinese symbol and the picture of myself for reference. I set the opacity low for the two photos and created a new layer so I could trace them. Once it was traced, I made the two reference photos not visible so I was left with this sketch that I used for reference when I was sketching the picture out on the canvas.
These sketches were me figuring out the background design. I wanted to incorporate Mucha’s style of the organic and geometric shapes in the background with the halos, almost, around the figures in the middle of the canvas. I also made sure to incorporate the symbol from Chinese culture as the center of the circle design. I also sketched out how I wanted the cherry blossoms to look in the semi circles going around the large circle. I knew that cherry blossoms were not Chinese, but they are big in Asian culture, and I think they look pretty and they match more with Mucha’s style.
To create this sketch, I went on FireAlpaca with the Chinese symbol and the picture of myself for reference. I set the opacity low for the two photos and created a new layer so I could trace them. Once it was traced, I made the two reference photos not visible so I was left with this sketch that I used for reference when I was sketching the picture out on the canvas.
These sketches were me figuring out the background design. I wanted to incorporate Mucha’s style of the organic and geometric shapes in the background with the halos, almost, around the figures in the middle of the canvas. I also made sure to incorporate the symbol from Chinese culture as the center of the circle design. I also sketched out how I wanted the cherry blossoms to look in the semi circles going around the large circle. I knew that cherry blossoms were not Chinese, but they are big in Asian culture, and I think they look pretty and they match more with Mucha’s style.
Experimentation
I had to experiment a lot with my skin color. I wanted to make sure that the undertones were right, and I tried a lot of colors to make it look like my skin tone. To create the skin tone, I mixed yellow, red, blue, white, and green. I used mostly yellow and red because I knew that I had a more golden undertone. The first color I tried was too orange, so I used a little bit of blue to balance it out. I swatched all of the experimental colors on my arm to see which one best fit. I couldn't get the skin tone perfect, because I think it is still a little dark, but it was close enough.
|
Process
{Making the Frame}
{Painting}
Next, I moved down to work on the neck and added more shadow detail to the face and collarbone. To do this, I had to create highlights and contours using a slightly darker skin tone and a slightly lighter skin tone. I also worked put the base coat on for the hair. I knew that later on I would have to put in highlights, so I didn't make it too dark.
|
Then, I began working on the background. I started with the Chinese symbol behind me, using a gold paint. This paint was hard to work with because it was so sheer, so I had to put a lot of layers down. I filled in the background part of the symbol with a darker red. In order to get precise lines, I used the small, flat brush.
|
Then, I started working on the semi circles around the boarder. After laying down the base color, I took a skinny brush with the brown and free handed the branches of the flowers. I created the like this to emulate Mucha's style. Then, I took the small flat brush and took the light pink to just freehand the cherry blossoms in a star shape to look like petals.
Finally, I painted the background black so that the flowers would pop.
|
Reflection
Critique
When I look back at my project, I don’t think I am fully happy with the way it turned out. I think that the design and my idea for it was right, but I don’t think it is the best it could be. Ideally, I would have liked to project my image in order to get the proportions and everything perfect, but I didn’t have one available to me when I began working on this project. I really wanted to emulate Mucha's style when painting my face, making sure not to add too harsh of a highlight or contour, but I also wanted to incorporate aspects from my culture in the background. Also, I think if I were able to redo this project, I would add more detail to the background. I would also make sure to be more precise around the edges to make everything look more clean.
Compare and Contrast
Similarities
Differences
|
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
Mucha's style of art greatly influenced my piece, as well as the Chinese symbols from my culture. The symbol can be seen behind the bust, and Mucha's background and floral designs are shown.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author talks about Mucha's culture and how it influenced his pieces, as mine did.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I can generalize that culture can have a huge influence on an artist's work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspiration is culture
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I could infer that my culture can be a deciding factor in a lot of my work now and in the future.
Mucha's style of art greatly influenced my piece, as well as the Chinese symbols from my culture. The symbol can be seen behind the bust, and Mucha's background and floral designs are shown.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author talks about Mucha's culture and how it influenced his pieces, as mine did.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I can generalize that culture can have a huge influence on an artist's work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspiration is culture
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I could infer that my culture can be a deciding factor in a lot of my work now and in the future.
Bibliography
“Alphonse Mucha Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, www.theartstory.org/artist-mucha-alphonse.htm.
“Fu Lu Shou.” Good Luck Symbols, 18 Mar. 2018, goodlucksymbols.com/fu-lu-shou/.
“Fu Lu Shou.” Good Luck Symbols, 18 Mar. 2018, goodlucksymbols.com/fu-lu-shou/.