So There

 I'm not going to say that it's good.  The ear is positioned incorrectly (too high).  The eyes are wrong, out of alignment, and even disturbing.  The glasses aren't the right shape and the shadow from the glasses does not work.  The nose is too long.  It also lacks much resemblance.  I could go on and on.  Let's just say that there is a lot which is off.  Perhaps this shouldn't be the first thing I draw after completing the drawing portion of Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain and working on getting skills to improve accuracy.  Too bad, because in another way this is a perfect drawing.

Portrait - 8" x 10"

I just went for it.  It's what I wanted to do and I did it.  So many times, I put myself in this little box where there are all of these rules which just get in the way.  I am trying to dispose of that little box.  I've wanted to try this ever since I watched this video which Roz found and shared shared with her students, since several of us are working on self portraits.  

I did an initial drawing and filled in the first layer of highlights. I lost this shape as a I kept working. 

My original drawing wasn't that accurate.  I was working upstairs and the lighting wasn't that good when I started.  I had trouble seeing the underlying sketch and it got worse, although I'm not going to complain about a sunny day in January.  It was too hard to move every thing and, by that point, I was beyond worrying about accuracy.  I just wanted to play and be a little audacious.  

Yup, the internal critic showed up and I didn't tell him to bug off.  I should have.  I really, really should have.  Instead at some point, I forgot he was there since I was so into coloring.  I know this makes me sound like the people in the little white jackets might need to stop by for a visit, but if you have ever really listened to the voice in your head you know what I mean.  I also know that this is where the box and the stupid rules come from and I'm trying to banish those too.  

I want to continue to improve my accuracy, but I also want this type of freedom.  It took me awhile to figure out that when I look at other people's artwork, I almost always see freedom in what they are doing (although they may not see it that way) and what I was really seeing was what I want for myself.  

I used Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons and it's the first time I've used them.  It won't be the last time. They are really fun and you can really layer with them.  When I first added all of the yellow, I thought "Ugh", but you don't see any of the harsh yellow at the end. 

Here's the last full drawing from when I was working through the book.  It has a much better resemblance, but also has a few issues.  I had my hair pulled back tightly, since it's really starting to bug me.  I haven't had a hair cut since June or July.  At some point when life gets safer, I am going back to short hair. 

I really like my glasses, but they are hard to include while also trying to get accurate eyes.  They also cast shadows which are a pain to deal with.  I might try to do some self-portraits without them, since I mostly need them to read.