The Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created nearly one hundred self portraits during his 63 years of life. Roughly 40 of these self portraits were oil paintings. The rest were drawings and etchings. This was, and is, a fairly unusual number of self portraits for an artist without a smartphone. He might have made self portraits to practice rendering facial expressions, while he also carried out his own self expressions and examinations. He might have made self portraits because they were free, whereas models cost money. He could have also been making them as a kind of self promotion. A self portrait would allow him to advertise his skill, mark himself as memorable, and possibly even earn some cash for the sale.
Below you’ll see a couple of ink drawings and then a couple of related etchings, roughly mirror image from the ink sketches, as the plate he drew the final image onto would have then printed in reverse.
[image_with_animation image_url=”7183″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] I’ve been making more monotypes. I can’t seem to put them down. The exciting discovery of what comes out of the press is as neurologically rewarding as opening wrapped presents. Better maybe. The invitation of the ghosted plate, cold blankness eliminated, grey tones and shapes invite me to create …
As preparation for this Saturday’s workshop Paint like Degas, I’m digging in some art history to get perspective on the range of Degas’ art. Although he was eternally unsatisfied with his work, and he could a miserable jerk to people, early in his career it seems he was especially extra miserable with his artwork. He …
Sometimes people send me personal emails in response to my V. Notes. Sometimes those emails include interesting artwork that relates to my post. In response to yesterday’s post about the sumi painter Pan Gongkai, I received an email from Jodi Waltier, a League textiles instructor, including artwork for her upcoming show. Hey Ruthie, … am …
Tuesdays are memory/imagination day in our 30 day creative challenge. Drawing from memory can be a great way to keep your brain active and build up observational skills. Strictly speaking, if you’re drawing from observation, as soon as you look away from the subject and down at your paper, you’re drawing from memory. This exercise …
Rembrandt’s Self Portrait Drawings
The Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created nearly one hundred self portraits during his 63 years of life. Roughly 40 of these self portraits were oil paintings. The rest were drawings and etchings. This was, and is, a fairly unusual number of self portraits for an artist without a smartphone. He might have made self portraits to practice rendering facial expressions, while he also carried out his own self expressions and examinations. He might have made self portraits because they were free, whereas models cost money. He could have also been making them as a kind of self promotion. A self portrait would allow him to advertise his skill, mark himself as memorable, and possibly even earn some cash for the sale.
Below you’ll see a couple of ink drawings and then a couple of related etchings, roughly mirror image from the ink sketches, as the plate he drew the final image onto would have then printed in reverse.
Sketch vs Etching
Sketches – just a few
Etchings
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