Self-Portraits in Isolation

I had the idea of creating a scene of a family playing a board game, however using just myself as the subject to represent my time in lockdown. For most of the lockdown, I have lived alone with my dog, as my boyfriend works away at sea. I have found it mentally challenging and wanted to express ways in which I have coped/ felt over the past year. Artists such as Cristina Troufa and inspired me to create this piece. I have first sketched it out on my Ipad and have started creating a digital painting using the App Procreate. These are my initial sketches below

This self-portrait was my first attempt at oil painting. I aimed to create a bored/ tired expression.

I decided to turn my oil painting into a digital animation. Here are some sketches of how I would like the animation to look.

This is a digital drawing I created on procreate using an apple pencil. I used a range of brush effects, including ink, pencil, and airbrushing. I added orange and white to the left edge of the face and body and blended them in to create a dramatic light effect. I was inspired by Suzon Lagardes' self-portraits when creating this piece. The little white circle on my arm is a sensor that is attached to my skin, that I use to check my blood sugar readings.

I recreated my digital drawing in oil paints on A2 cardboard. I struggled at first to get the skin tones right, so after some research, I started it again with a green background and used a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine, which allowed the oil paints to flow and blend more freely.

I set up my camera on a tripod and took these three photos showing me cooking tea. I then uploaded them all in procreate and removed the backgrounds to merge them all together. I plan on creating some sketches and final pieces using this scene as a reference. It represents my time in lockdown, living by myself, and how I only have my own company. It is a representation of self-reliance.

This is another photo I edited using procreate. I set up my camera on a tripod to take bursts of photos of me sitting in various positions which I then edited to make the final photo. It shows me leaning on myself for support during the lockdown. I think it would look great as a final piece.

This is another photo I edited in procreate. The two of me on the right look like they are having fun looking at something on the iPad, the one of me on the left looks like she is isolating herself but wants to join in on the fun. This represents different moods I feel.

I love this photo I edited showing a 'selfie' style portrait of me on repeat. I appear to be seeing something shocking on my phone. I plan on using this as inspiration for my exhibition piece, where I will draw a lifesize polaroid selfie.

Here is another 'selfie' style photo edited in procreate. I thought this one was quite comical.

A3 pencil drawing

I created this piece using a range of pencils, including HB, 6B, and H. I used a mixture of smooth blending and scribbled hatching to create different textures on the clothes and skin

acrylic on cardboard,

I painted this close-up of my previous drawing of me cooking in the kitchen. I really like the tones and the yellow background

Acrylic on paper

I decided to try some different background colours to see how they affected the skin colour. I really like the blue and it creates some great shadows on the face

Acrylic on paper

I tried a section of the painting again with a pink background. I think it worked well, however it doesn't create as much contrast as id like. I think the blue background works best.

I cropped my painting on procreate and played around with different background colours. I chose green as it is a complementary colour to the pink undertone of the skin

Here are three more digital edits I made of my paintings to test different background colours.

Pastel pencils on pastelmat paper

A3 Charcoal drawing

A3 Charcoal Drawing

I made this sketch using my mirror reflection as a reference. It was quite difficult to draw the proportions right.

These are some photos I edited in Procreate to create a Polaroid/ selfie effect.

Digital drawings created on procreate using an apple pencil

I started this drawing of a polaroid photo, however, I decided I wanted to draw it the same size as the polaroids I will be using to take photos in the exhibtion

Coloured pencil drawing of a polaroid photo

Pencil on watercolour paper.

This is what I will be showing in the exhibition. It is a lifesize drawing of a polaroid picture.

My plan for the exhibition

I wanted my exhibition to be interactive. My self-negotiated project has all been self-portraits and about my time experiencing and coping with the lockdown. Now that we are finally getting back to normality I thought it would be great to get people involved in my exhibit. My plan is to display my lifesize polaroid drawing, with a polaroid camera underneath, inviting the audience to take their own 'selfie' and pin it up on the wall next to mine. The polaroid selfie combines both historical and modern times, in the way it is a very old way of taking a photo, however, I am introducing the modern-day 'selfie'. I can't wait to see the photos that people take, some might be for a traditional selfie, however, some may take a different approach and take a photo of their shadow or hand or even a group portrait.

Here are some digital sketches below of how i would like my exhibition to look

Exhibition