self portraits, and doing what I love...

To me, it is very important to continue to do self-directed work, and tick all the boxes of the things I love to paint. For instance, I can't get enough of painting close-up facial shots - no face is the same, and I love to really study bone structure and the depth and detail of eyes.
So heres my own little project; a series of self portraits. I am eager to learn more about my face - ha!
So I did a bit of dramatic makeup and took some shots, trying to get different angles of my face.
I love that I am able to combine my love of makeup, photography, design and produce fine art at the end of the project.

Here are the photos that turned out the best:

I really love this image because of the effect the flash of the camera had against the hair and forehead - so abstract! It is very interesting how the flashes of light frame the face - I couldn't have asked for better placement. This will be an interesting image to paint.

What I find very striking about this image is the great contrast between light skin and a dark background. It makes for a powerful image.

This is probably my favourite image, because I love to paint close-ups so much. I really like how the light is spilling down, from the right brow, and hitting the cheek. I am looking forward to painting this. I will paint it in a way that will create a flawless, almost surreal look, because I think that will make the image look more powerful.

Expect painting updates VERY soon, including photos of the paintings coming together.