Self Portrait



Julie Devine, Self Portrait, 2011
Oil on panel, 20" x 16"

 I've been working on this self portrait on and off for several weeks. I set up a mirror in my studio to paint myself from observation in natural daylight. The studio has windows on three sides. On a sunny day, diffused warm light comes in through white japanese screens from the south side, while the northern light is always cool.

The challenge in this portrait was to observe and represent the color and value shifts of reflected light, and model form using these shifts instead of relying heavily on chiaroscuro to turn form. The background is largely invented, but I like how it turned out.