Title

self-portrait 2

Creator

Dielas, Christos

Abstract

I began with a cool-toned blue underpainting to break from my usual warm palette, aiming for brighter colors. Using burnt sienna, I sketched the figure and built layers, mixing skin tones directly on canvas with wet-on-wet techniques. I painted the background and clothing in multiple coats, experimenting with ultramarine and violet for depth. I used black pigment for the first time in years, which felt liberating. Inspired by Alice Neel and Alpay Efe, I exaggerated facial features and layered tonal values. This painting helped me grow, combining familiar methods with new techniques and boosting my confidence with a new color palette.

Artist Statement

I started off by spreading blue watered-down paint across the canvas which served as the first layer of my under painting, this helped me to fill out all the white spots and maintain a neutral base to consider color better, I usually prefer a warm base toned canvas but this time as one of my goals of this painting was to step out of my comfort palette and differentiate it a bit I used a cool toned base to start from there, I had my reference picture displayed on my iPad next to my canvas, then as soon as my under painting was completely dry I sketched out the figure with thin layers of burned sienna so I could easily fix any noticeable mistakes. As soon I was satisfied with my sketch I applied a second layer of blue thick paint this time on my background.

Then mixed burned sienna with white and blue to create different tonal values and I made an underpainting of
my figure as I would normally paint with the final skin tones before adding the actual skin tones to add depth.
While I was waiting for the figure to dry I applied the third coat of paint to my background at that time I was feeling that I am getting closer to the final value I wanted. When my figure dried I mixed cadmium yellow, cadmium red and cobalt blue, I usually use ultramarine but I felt that cobalt blue you give the pigment a more
bright look. I started painting the skin with thick paint which I really enjoyed, while I was adding extra brushstrokes of pure magenta on certain areas I wanted to have more blush and I was mixing the pigment straight on the canvas wet on wet which is a technique I use a lot. I followed the same technique for adding the extra blues as well for example the shadow on the cheek, jaw and on the neck.

Then I started painting the sweater. I started off with watered down ultramarine as preparation because the previous pigment was too light and soft then I applied violet around the corner of the cloth And then I applied ultramarine all over the
sweater and then while it was still wet, I created the wrinkles of the folded cloth by adding darker lines next to lighter ones mixed with white. In that picture under my sweater, I was wearing a black T-shirt and I painted it black with black pigment which I normally never do. I have not done it in years because I was scared of it, but while I was doing it, it felt liberating and very different, and I enjoyed it. I also used black not pure but mixed with brown and blue for the nostrils and the hair.

Then I painted the eyes again because I had to raise them and repaint them a lot of times gradually
started building their hair that I started sketching. The tiles in the background I painted them brown and then on top of the brown I added violet to add more visible interest, and depth then I painted the background blue and green for the fourth time and then I added the highlights on the tiles and the shadows. I use wide brushes because I wanted to create a smooth surface but with visible changes of color. I learned a lot out of this painting because I combined my standard process with some different and new elements which for sure elevated the performance of my color, I feel great that I created a “different” painting in terms of color and I feel more confident doing it again with a different palette. In
addition I can see my mistakes in terms of proportion and I feel like starting a portrait with a different way next time. For this painting, a goal was to have bright colors and I achieved that, and I think it
creates contrast with my figure looking in the mirror with a neutral face. I also took inspiration from Alice Neel for the exaggeration of certain characteristics of the face, such as the eyes and the nose, and Alpay Efe for the way I mixed different tonal values with each other on the skin

Keywords

painting

identity

exploration

Subject

Visual Arts

Date Available

May 22-23, 2025

Type

painting

Course

AR3025 Painting

Instructor

Halivopoulou, Effie

Session

Visual Arts Exhibition

Location

Art Center Gallery

Event

Year 2025 | 9th Annual Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium