Self Portrait

Paul Cezanne Self Portrait, Oil on canvas, 25 5/8 in. x 20 5/8 in., 1879

Vincent Van Gogh Self Portrait, Oil on Canvas, 20 in. x 14 in., 1887

Anh Duong Self Portrait, Oil on Canvas, 14 in. x 11 in., 2002

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

I thought they were well done pieces and they were some of the only self portraits I found at the exhibit. I was looking for more pencil media because that's what I was going to work with but the oil on canvas paintings were really life like.

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?

Pencil media was just easier for me, because I tend to make a lot of mistakes and with pencil I can at least erase and perfect my self-portrait. I feel like i could make smoother lines and transitions with the pencil, too.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was getting my facial feature to scale with the rest of my face. At one point, my eyes were too small for my face and also my nose didn't look the right size. That's why I used pencil so I could correct these changes.

4. How does this piece represent you?

This is me in my most true form. I didn't look to add any abstract effects like some artists would. I just wanted to keep it pure and as close to the truth as I could possibly get it.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?

Definitely a realistic approach with the whole thing. Like I said I didn't wanna get crazy with it so I just let my pencil move along the paper and tried to make it life like as much as I could with my level of skill.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?

I did actually! Probably because I enjoy drawing, and the last time I did a self-portrait was back in high school. It was nice to get back to this theme of art and give another shot at it.

7. What do you think of your final artwork?

I think I did well, actually better than I thought I would have. It was a relief to just draw myself instead of having to draw another person. But I liked how it turned out and with more time I fell like I could have added a lot more detail.