Self-Portrait

Getting better with every practice session!

When I kick back on the couch post-work, it’s a no-brainer to grab my iPad, fire up Procreate, slap on a reference photo, and just roll with it.

Procreate’s got some cool perks, like flipping your work around in a flash and checking it out in grayscale real quick.

I’m all about painting over mistakes instead of hitting that undo button — it’s all part of the journey, right?

Here’s the same image in grayscale.

Working in monochrome forces you to focus on shapes instead of getting lost in details.

Without color to lean on, you have to commit to your values. And there’s something liberating about leaving things out — letting the viewer’s imagination fill in the blanks.

My first attempt at starting a self portrait practice. Looking at it now I can see the mistakes — the contrast is too strong, the colors too cold.

But I learned a lot about the materials. Part of the problem was using professional grade watercolor paper and being too afraid to ruin it. Switching to cheaper paper changed everything — suddenly I could take risks.

Done near the end of the pandemic. By that point it had worn me down — I was burnt out, and I think the drawing reflects it.

Sometimes art doesn’t lie.