I continue with my self portrait series in this post. In yesterday’s Big Self Portrait, I was trying to illuminate my face from the bottom. Somehow the halloweenish grotesqueness of eerie shadows eluded me, but my main goal in that sketch was to use the entire page.

Today’s self portrait reigns-in the size a bit (at least to allow my ears into the picture). I wanted the lighting of this portrait to be from the front. The absence of shadow makes this difficult to achieve.  I chose to imitate the lighting of a ‘ring flash’. A ring flash is a special lighting attachment that fits around the lens of a camera. When it flashes, it provides a ring of light evenly from around the camera lens onto the subject. Other than the even lighting, the only way to tell if a ring flash is used is by looking at the eyes of the subject. Once can see the ring of the flash reflected in the eyes.  I am not certain if I placed the ring of light appropriately, but the eyes certainly become a focal point of this composition.

I applied the green pigment of the background radially, with a dry brush, to draw the viewer’s attention into the picture.

Self Portrait – Engaged
9″x12″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block