Ice breaker: Self Portrait

 Today in class, we had to make a quick self-portrait using tools that are accessible for us. I decided to create my portrait digitally, using an app called Procreate. 

This is the portrait I have created. I decided to make my color palette monochromatic pink. Pink is my favorite color and I wanted to make my work monochromatic, because similar shades work best with the papercut effect I was going for. 

To create this I used an app called Procreate and I used a tool called "Plume Studio". With the Plume Studio brush I have created an outline of each shape and I filled it in with a color. I did each shape on a separate layer and then I duplicated each layer. In each duplicated layer I have used Alpha Lock to lock the shape and then I used the Fill Layer tool to fill the shapes with black color. After doing that I have used Gaussian Blur tool in each of those black layers and that let me create this blur around each shape. To make it a papercut effect, I ave selected all of those duplicated layers and moved them a little bit, therefore it looks similar to a shade a paper would leave if it was real. 

To create a portrait like this I was inspired by the work of a Spanish graphic designer Cristina Garrido Tirado. This designer creates artwork using software to make the papercut effect. 

River (2018)

Heart (2018)

I think works with the papercut effect look very interesting because they are works that look truly 3D when it is actually done in a 2D software. Those two designs are interesting because they have a depth in the design. With my portrait I have tried creating a papercut effect the other way around, so the one that would pop out of the paper. 

I think, knowing that it was a quick portrait I did a good job and it looks eye-pleasing and balanced. I think it is a very interesting project and it is a lot different from everything I have done so far, which is good, because experimenting with different ideas is important.