*that started as a practice

Or: The story of how I initially wanted to practice painting textures, and got so carried away, that I accidentally turned myself into a queen ♛
Full process below ↓

Here's is what I ended up with:

I was feeling kind of down today, but I decided to paint. To practice. I wanted to recreate a soft, fluffy fabric in paint, and just play around with textures, and then I remembered this picture of mine. So dressed up :D.

That time I was trying on a faux fur coat that was so uncomfortable and large for me that I had to return it, but it was lovely to touch, so I had to make a memory of it.

Essentially​, painting... and painting oneself, I think, is therapeutic​. So today it was more about the process, and less about the outcome. Painting myself was also like a challenge, because usually when I think: "I want to paint something", (and with the thought that I'm going to share this), if I choose painting portraits, I avoid someone recognizable, because during practices I don't want to pressure myself into achieving resemblance. Today, I was brave. I wanted to practice, I hadn't planned I'd make a painting out of it, moreover​, a serious self-portrait. But that also made me a bit "reckless painter".

Supplies

I used Daler&Rowney linen Acrylic paper, some brushes, 1-10, and D&R acrylic paint set, graduate level

From brushes: large for the background, but I mostly used the tiniest brush.

Here is a tiny brush in comparison to my relatively tiny hand

Started with a sketch and an underpainting ​and quickly got to painting

In sketch, most importantly, I marked where the shadows will be. The really rough sketch helped to give insight into understanding​ proportions. Although I could have worked more on the structural planning of facial features and getting the exact angle. The angle is veeery tricky in the reference photo, so it was very challenging, indeed. Well.. a practice, at least.

Speaking of reckless, I "underpainted" significant areas only, and started right away working on the facial features to shape the face first. I also mixed my palette on the go​, but it's a splendid idea to define a palette​ beforehand. Well, I skipped that.

Background

So I just defined the colors​ in my mind, and chose a pastel blue for the background, and underneath blue hues will appear in the clothing, too.

The hair

In the hair part, I usually improvise, and only regard the reference photo as a guide for indicating where the light falls. I often just let the brush slide, so to make a natural movement of the hair, and just follow where my hand takes me. The painting creates itself, that is the fun part of it.

I love to represent the way light falls on something, so I was excitedly painting highlights and shadows in my hair, and turned it fantastically glossy. After all, it's a painting, and a lot of fantasy is exactly what's needed.

Painting - painter's reflection

I have come to believe that every painting tells a story about the painter. Even if your subjects resemble nothing like you, you, the painter, might find yourself reflected somewhere in it. And you are. You are in every brush stroke. Your hand holds the brush. Previously, I chose not to overanalyze my works, but now, letting my first impulses define my paintings, I think it is so interesting to try to interpret my colour/representation/symbol choices.

The face, marked, not defined

And introduction to the mess on my table!

The feathers

I really wanted to get to the soft material part. I chose blue to go underneath, and match the light mood. Adding a fantasy element, I wanted to over exaggerate​ the fluffiness, so I painted down-like airy clouds around me. Some people have said that I resemble a bird, so I guess my experiments with brushstrokes led me to represent​ freedom, lightness​, ​ and breeziness through these bird-like feathers.

The bird-person

My self-portrait is slowly turning into a luxurized version of myself. I guess, this portrait reflects the Leo, ruled by the Sun, side of my ego. Haha.
But wait! I'm adding more glamour. I chose Silver Imit color​ to add some lightplay in the texture.

I used this brush to apply the silver shine.

The glistening

Ooh, it shines! me, every time.

Another layer of feathers

Worked on the lips for a while

Painting my face with a micro brush felt like painting a tiny doll. It looks so, too. I wanted to find light on my face, and by accentuating it, I made me look shimmering. However, when working with acrylics​, I cannot yet make people look more natural. I think it is due to my overblending, so in the end, the subjects look as if perfected and fairy-like. ** I plan to work with oil paint, soon**, I think I would enjoy painting faces with it even more.

The finishing touch

Done

Although, it looks a bit pompous, I love it that I achieved my goal - I think I recreated hair and feathers the way I really wanted. I was reckless, as I said, so the illustration is weirdly positioned on the paper. I really did not think of it at the start of the practice. I never expect my practice works will turn into an actual illustration. Not perfect. But finished!

Opinion on acrylics

I can't wait to switch to oil paint. I am amazed by the plasticity of such paints, and for me acrylics feels too... plastic, I guess. For me, working with acrylics also is strenuous,​ because​ the time is limited to mix/apply the paint, until other patches of paint dry. But when I use a slow drying medium, the substance dissolves the paint, and the structure isn't right, and I get disappointed in my acrylic painting experience. Luckily, this experience was void of disappointments. So that's sweet!

Thanks! Wishing you inspiration!

P.S.

I'm supporting a community, which helps each other out. Steemit for Resteem. If you are new to Steemit, check it out and take part in it!
Their FB page Steemit for resteem

For more details about this project, follow https://steemit.com/@clixmoney