so i finally broke

I wanted to wait until more things were finished--but i suppose i'll have to post the finished versions later. Here is an update of everything i've been doing.

10x16" acrylic self-portrait on illustration board--completed in about 2.5-3 hours from life (two mirrors). For observational color with Steven Strenk

I have been having a hard time fully rendering with acrylic paints. a lot here is muddled by my jabs at the canvas trying to reactivate dry paint. it has been suggested that i work with bigger, thicker brushstrokes to keep the paint wet, something I will keep in mind in the future. 

Anatomically it works well and I feel it captured my likeness, but everything feels greasy and I feel physically upset looking at the transition in the cheek, the chin and the hair and ear. 

These are some ink copies after legendary comic artist Jeff Jones in my smaller moleskine (except for the last figure which was originally in my 18x24 moleskine).--all from a book kindly lent to me by Ross Taylor

When doing these studies I attempted to find and emulate the forms in his figures rather than simply graph out and copy the images exactly--which resulted in both a personal stamp on the reproductions and also, in places, some inaccuracies. 

I attacked them with a combination of nib and brush, in places matching Jeff's hatching style and in others attempting my own. I want to eventually get to a place where I can visualize figures in this style and be able to invent them believably.

some head studies/portraits originally from the moleskines but cropped/scaled/desaturated for a better view.

Vincent Nappi looks great as a samurai

some hand studies

and some previews of things to come: