Acrylic

Julia Wilson 'Self-portrait' 1988

This accomplished self-portrait uses relatively few colours, focusing mainly on shades of blue and grey. The cool greyish tinge to the skin tones perfectly echo the doleful expression and give the painting a subdued, calm quality. Cold highlights give form to the lightest areas of the face, suggesting that the figure is lit by natural daylight. The blue and cream of the patterned wall in the background work well with the muted green jumper and create a unifying balance. The painting was built up in thin layers or glazes laid over each other or blended together on the canvas wet into wet. Brushstrokes have been softened making the skin appear more realistic, despite the unnatural grey colour used on the face and neck.

Using acrylic as a material for making a self-portrait

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