Something Different! My First Ever Portrait Attempt.

I stepped waaaayyyyyy out of my comfort zone and tried a monochrome portrait. This is far from my style but sometimes you have to try something new. This was my first ever attempt at a portrait. I certainly have a whole lot to learn but I learned so much already. I didn’t prepare beforehand or have ideal materials. I just went for it. Not the worst thing I’ve seen, 

Actually, I think at some point I had a better looking version before I ruined it somehow. I snapped a pic of the progress because it looked creepy.

I like the value I had at this point. I was pretty close with the shapes and proportions. If I had just shaven a bit off the cheeks, it would have been close.

I mean what can I say? I’m not a portrait painter. I never tried before. I didn’t do any prep or studying. I just used what I’ve learned from painting and watching others over time. I didn’t have the right paint or medium to do this style and the canvas board was not the ideal surface either. Despite all that, I went for it without a care. It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen! I’m somewhat proud of this.

I did have a bit of coaching from a fellow streamer who I’d been watching for a bit. He’s very knowledgeable and eager to share that knowledge with anyone interested. In fact, he’s the one that challenged me to do this. For some reason, he thought I’d do well at it. Big thanks to Tickiwaw. Another time, I’ll get all the right stuff and give it another go.

That’s what you have to do sometimes. Just send it. Draw or paint something. Don’t be embarrassed if it doesn’t turn out great. You don’t even have to show anyone. This portrait attempt has given me the confidence to at least give it another shot. Perhaps this will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone. Try something new or different. You will probably surprise yourself! Happy painting.