Digital Self Portrait Exercise
An explanation is in order. I took a photo of myself at the end of this weekend, not a particularly restful Labor Day. I spent the time neck deep in house projects. I defrosted a refrigerator, in order to repair a clogged drain and replace an evaporative fan that had gone out. I also had to deal with a dishwasher that wasn't draining, and had been sitting for a few days as I had been too busy to get to. The water in it had turned rancid, and so this task was not pleasant. In a nutshell, I was f*cking DONE.
This was all after a particularly difficult week of homework and other various projects rendering my hands battered and full of splinters and cuts, the stench of my sweat with sawdust, rancid water, smoke, and whatever else helped me decide that it's time for a war with God. In any case, after my happy days of labor wound down, I snapped a pic on my laptop before I was able to drag my sorry carcass into a much needed shower. The face is the stare I gave one of my kids when they came and asked a question that I've stricken from memory.
I'd say that the only real influence I can site is the artist Daniel Clowes, as the lighting is reminiscent of his style. I began the project in Photoshop, but also threw it over to Autodesk Sketchbook and Adobe Fresco when I wanted certain brushes or tools. Not to slight Photoshop, but for doing digital illustration it's a bit bulky and also has brushes that can be quite temperamental. Best to use it for it's masking features and such.
This has a real propaganda feel to it given the red, white, black color palette (bolshevik era) but despite your difficult week (sorry to hear about the rancid water) this piece has a fun energy to it, almost as if the portrait's character is in on a joke as he's looking off to the side. It's a lovely illustrated feel and I'm engaged by the white line work around the head; think it could be everywhere, actually. Love the "feel" of the grayscale flesh--almost 3D like clay or polished like bronze. Good work here with the tools in software. I could see this as a shirt or printed sticker campaign.
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