Book of Days : Self-Love Portrait

This art lesson from Book of Days was an expressive self-portrait - doesn't necessarily look like us but expresses who we are on a soul level - honouring what is lovely about ourselves. First thing Effy set us was a task during the weekend to make a self-love list - I was so happy that I managed to fill up a page in my Inner Work journal! ♥

I glued watercolour paper into my journal because I wanted to try watercolour techniques. Unfortunately I had to put masking tape in because I'm recycling an old book - just hope it doesn't spoil my girl. We started the face from the lips up! - this is an unusual technique in the mixed media world. Effy used Jane Davenport's new Mermaid markers but I just used some watercolours I already own - Koh-i-noor dye stack and some sparkling H2Os

This is a close-up of the lovely effect from adding Yellow Rose H2O on top of other colours - will have to use this again. Click on the photo to see it larger

Here's my initial background

and with gesso added - I love the tapa shapes and am lucky to have it in a few different stencil sizes

I needed to make a decision about which colour pencil to use on my face - I have samples in a workbook - these are my lovely polychromos pencils which I bought specifically for face shading (work really well with blending stump over clear gesso)

Decided the Caput  Mortuum worked best with my red colours, and used Inktense colours for the lips and eye - very happy with how my face turned out

Then it was time to tend my tapa background - I added green/gold paint but rubbed it with baby wipe so it barely shows except the gesso isn't so stark - and gold metallic sakura adds the perfect sparkle

I added the same sakura gold for writing all the things I love about myself into her hair and at this stage considering if she is done

I decided I couldn't resist a few more of my fav swirl doodles in the strands I'd left blank

It's subtle but I love the detail and SHINE the metallic pens add

And here she is finished

See my Flickr album for all my art from classes with Effy HERE. Sign up to Book of Days or other classes with Effy Wild HERE.