Below is a before and after self portrait, donated by one of the students after the portrait painting course. He used the original pose and the same medium to see how much he had progressed after attending the course.
A self portrait is probably the most difficult subjects to paint. The way we perceive ourselves effects our visual judgement. The challenge is to remain impartial and paint what you see. This is easier said than done.
The Academic discipline is a logical step by step process that helps the artist describe one visual element at a time, developing an objective way to describe reality
In the self portrait below, the student has clearly developed his visual language. Notice the difference in the proportions of the head, understanding of form, draughtsmanship and line weight.
