mostly magazine type collage with some acrylic on w/c paper, 10 X 11″
I’ve been wanting to do a Muse Group lesson with a self portrait theme, so I tried this approach to see what would happen. Using my Photo Booth application on my Mac computer I took pictures of myself using the “comic book” effect, printed one out (in black and white) and glued it onto my art journal size paper. Then I just started cutting and gluing. Three absorbing hours later I lifted my head up, stretched, painted some acrylic on and declared it done.
And by cracky! It does look like me (so says my husband, who ought to know). So now, Muse students, tell me if you think you could or would even want to do this in a session. You’d have to work faster than me for sure. Maybe it’s a two week lesson.
Usually students cringe when you say they’re going to do self portraits, so I’ve stayed away from this, not wanting to traumatize anyone. But there are many approaches and I plan to try out some of them. There are artists whose self portraits have contributed to their fame – Myrna Wacknov for one. Oh and of course Van Gogh and Picasso and so on.
What were you cutting up? Magazines?
Yes, magazines, mostly National Geographics.
This is great, Susan. I love it!
Cool! I may have to try it!
well you could have fooled me but “self” is all a matter of perception … yes! let’s do this in Muses … i love the red patten lips … muriel
You hit it right on, that self is a matter of perception. Believe me, I hope my self perception has to do with something bigger than my face!
Why do I get this sinking feeling inside? I’ve seen similar techniques but they look so hard!
Are you sure the sinking feeling is about the technique, or is it the self portrait part? There’s not a person alive who doesn’t have parts of themselves they’d rather not see reflected back. The technique is not so hard, if you have patience.
Definetly the patience.
Your self-portrait is creative and lovely. I wish I had done it. I have Mac with PhotoBooth and would like to do a collage which, along with acrylics and inks, are my main media BUT I look so ugly in the photos that I haven’t done anything with them. With collage, I can maybe cover the jowls and ‘remake’ myself. Thanks for the idea and all the muse conversations.
That IS the difficulty with self portraits, isn’t it Marie- that we judge what we see in the mirror and find it wanting! Some self portrait techniques are based on honesty – to reveal the gritty Truth about us – while others are geared toward presenting ourselves as we would like to be. This technique could go either way. You can always cover up your “jowls” with collage!