I used to have a love hate relationship with portraits and I guess its the level of detail that you need to create a convincing likeness that is key to a image that looks like the sitter.
I created my self portrait using a photo as a starting point. I know using photos is frowned upon in certain circles but if as a beginner it gives you confidence then I am all for photos!
This tutorial is designed for beginners in mind. I will show you how to cut up and use a photo to create your self portrait. The one important aspect of this technique is that your photo must have a light and a shadow side.
The photo is really only used to provide scale for your finished piece. You will also need some toned paper. I am using brown packaging paper and some light coloured sugar paper.
The technique is very simple. You are going to cut down the picture into a head shape and then cut the head shape in half following the shadow of the features. This will give you some great shapes and hopefully al likeness.
