My artist-inspired piece was based on Martyros Saryan’s self-portraits. I wanted to incorporate the effects of the lines and colors in solid shapes, and the depth and texture it applied to a piece. I used another character for this one after debating a self-portrait (which I now wish I’d done).
I used acrylic on canvas, and layered colors over and over until I got the effects I wanted. The blankness of it mirrors Saryan’s work as well, as he used minimal shape-based backgrounds and very plain, center-based composition. I started this piece with a yellow acrylic wash, then layered over it with my darkest colors and built up to the lightest ones. The simplistic streaks of color are significant in Saryan’s work, so I incorporated them wherever I could.
