My art exam... self image. Need some good ideas, please help!?

Question

Self-image can involve anything, which is probably why I'm finding it so hard to decide what to do. It has to be something based around me and/or my personality.

Answer 1

Things haven't changed. I had the same assignment in Art School. I took one feature and made a giant model of it. which in my case-I was known for my curly hair. Made a huge lock of curly hair out of raveled rope and polyurethane with a ribbon tied around it. 6'x 3'.

Look in the mirror-what one thing stands out-if it's your nose maybe make a nose mobile. Take a part of your personality-if you are a vain mirror hog do a life size cut out of yourself and cover it with mirrors. If you are laid back and sleep a lot how about a sleeping bag with your photo printed all over it.

Hope that kinda helps.

Answer 2

I just finished an application piece to an art school where I had to do this exact same thing. I even reacted the same way you did. You can always do the classic self portrait by looking in the mirror and showcasing your technical ability for portraiture, or you can take the more abstract route. What I did was an exaggerated portrait, where I emphasized all of my flaws and created a tone that I thought reflected my personality. You can exaggerate and distort your portrait in all possible ways, the more obscure the better. Another path you can take is not creating an image of yourself at all. Instead, think of what matters to you most, or what you've done with your life. Let's say painting is the most important aspect in your life, and it is your passion. You could paint an expressive still life of paint brushes, paints, a canvas, etc. Make sure to add a little interesting detail that further emphasizes your presence in the work. For example, in the still life with the paintbrushes you could have a few brushes in a glass of water, and then have your eye or entire face reflected in the glass. There's so many ways to have fun with this project.

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

i'm sure this was my art exam several years ago too. i looked at self portraiture, focused in on certain features, experimented with different mediums etc etc but i think in order to produce a good piece of work it really needs to be something that interests you, so maybe write down a list of things that matter to you- what you do, where you live, what has happened to you, what you hope will happen, who you like, love, hate, whatever, but how it impacts on you. ( a mark, a mission, a brand, a scar -dashboard confessional- excellent album to inspire by the way)

self image doesn't have to be about you though- just think of how other artists have percieved themselves- obvious ones to check out are paula rego, frieda khalo and andy warhol or look at fashion magazines- how the change of tiny models to bigger ones and back to size zero celebrities and the effect it has on young girls, eating disorders, etc. or maybe look at something like Fruits- japanese kids in cos-play outfits, how they want to be percieved by the rest of the world. or the psychology behind clothing- why it matters to some people and not to others?

still stuck? just have a break, put on some music you like, dance about a bit, have a cup of tea and start brainstorming what makes you take a second glance about yourself or others. but don't go for something because you think its the "right" thing to do, you won't enjoy it and it'll be stressful which no-one wants! good luck!

Answer 4

It sounds like your indecisive, try using that word as a jumping off point. Using a thesaurus do a search for it, and then follow the information until you find something new and interesting, in the meantime, you'll be finding other words to describe yourself.
good luck
.t.

Answer 5

Could you be more specific?

Self portrait, or creating an image?