Self Portrait Nightmares

Now I know why I haven't worked on my large self-portrait canvas. It's because it's all wrong to start with; the composition, my outfit, the pose itself. Everything is wrong. So, this afternoon I went to have a look at it and drew it so that I could look at it dispassionately. Who am I kidding - I can't ever be dispassionate about my own portrait. But I digress, as I actually did make some progress.

Anyway, here;s a sketch of where I was. As you can see, it's all wrong. I am too passive. The lines of the canvas I'm painting are leading the eye across and out of the frame. There's a huge gaping vacuum between my head and the canvas that sucks in the eye and leaves you dissatisfied. Also, I look like a sack of shit tied in the middle, as my mother in law once said to me. I'm dressed in a brown shaggy jumper, because it was bloody cold in late winter when I started on this project, and apart from the fact that it's a very unflattering outfit, I don't want my attire to fix me to a particular season. Please don't try to say anything positive about it at this stage please because, as you'll see, I'm throwing the whole thing metaphorically out of the window, and am starting from scratch. No, I'm not starting from scratch, as I've learnt a lot having dissected this one.