Self-portrait 19"x15"

viniciusbandeira

Here is my first self portrait in years

Even though this account is new (because I lost my other account) I've been part of the forum for quite a long time (since 2013) but stopped painting in 2017 because I couldn't afford material, here in Brasil everything is utterly expensive, so I started painting again this year.

adridri

Hello.
The shadow of the eye socket seems a bit to dark isn't it? Did you leave it with an unfinished look on purpose or are you looking for suggestions to finish it? 

tassieguy

Welcome back, @viniciusbandeira. I like what you've done with the hair and skin tones. I'm not sure about that eye. I have the same questions as @adridri. 

It's sort of spooky, sinister. But maybe that was your intention.

broker12

I don't know your level of art education so I make bold and suggest that your might like this site as a place to pick up some information:  https://www.chrisfornataro.com/

is there a significant difference in art supply costs between "student" grade and high quality material?  If you're just starting out, you might use the cheaper student materials until you feel you have progressed beyond that point.

tassieguy

@viniciusbandeira, if you want to paint realism then Mark's free videos are a great place to start. And you don't have to buy Geneva.  His five colour pallet, no matter the brand, can be very economical. In some cases, student grade paint is ok if it contains only one pigment and no fillers/extenders. Burnt umber, Ultramarine and Titanium white, for example. In other cases, especially the yellows and reds, student grade paint can be a false economy because they'll be full of extenders and won't mix the same as pure pigments - they'll be "hues" - and you'll need to use more of them. Go for pure pigments.  For reds and yellows, Quinacridone crimson and Arylide yellow are good, economical choices.  With those pure pigments - Burnt umber, Ultramarine blue, Titanium white, Quinacridone crimson and Arylide yellow - you can mix almost any colour your will need.