These are two self-portraits of/by artist Michael D. Edens. The 9″x12″ artworks were drawn and painted in 2011 with a variety of mediums. The first self-portrait, entitled “Self-Portrait”, was drawn with pens, oil pastels, paint pens, watercolors, and gouache. The second self-portrait, entitled “Uneasy Self-Portrait”, was drawn with colored pencils, oil pastels, and watercolors.

Unique layering and coloring techniques were used in each self-portrait in order to create interesting visual styles. For example, watercolors are painted over naturally repelling oil pastels to create an uneasy imbalance of organically flowing swirls and pooling colors amidst irrepressible lines.

Related Artwork
This is a previous 9″x12″ self-portrait created as part of the Rainbow Color Portraits – Series 1.

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This is a portrait of a man with glasses. The 9″x12″ portrait artwork was drawn in 2011 with a variety of mediums, including colored pencils, pens, oil pastels, paint pens, watercolors, gouache, and acrylics. The man was sketched with colored pencils, and layers of other dry and wet mediums were applied in layers. The intense and expressive lines meander throughout the artwork, creating a wholly connected portrait from foreground to background, top to bottom, and side to side. The use of unique shapes, gradients, and vivid and muted color combinations help to convey a sense of whimsical creativity and imagination surrounding and emanating from the man.

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This is an abstract portrait drawing of Albert Einstein. The 9″ x 12″ colorful portrait drawing was created in 2011 with a variety of mediums, including pens, oil pastels, watercolors, acrylics, and markers. Expressive lines and vibrant colors help to create a dynamic portrait of the theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein.

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This is a drawing of a fat person kneeling with their head in their hands entitled “Overcome”. The 9″x12″ abstract artwork was created in 2011 with colored pencils, oil pastels, and watercolors. The person was initially sketched with colored pencils, followed by oil pastel and watercolor highlights. The white background creates a stark contrast against the subject reinforcing a feeling of isolation.

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This is an abstract drawing of a man lying down. The 9″x12″ abstract artwork was created in 2011 with a variety of mediums, including pens, colored pencils, oil pastels, watercolors, and gouache. The man was initially sketched with pens and colored pencils. Layers of watercolor, oil pastel, and gouache were then applied to create interesting lines, shapes, and pools of color that flow from the subject and help connect the man to the foreground and background.

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This is an abstract drawing of a woman stretching. The 9″x12″ abstract artwork was created in 2011 with a variety of mediums, including pens, colored pencils, oil pastels, paint markers, watercolors, and gouache. The woman was initially drawn with pens and colored pencils. A mix of watercolors, oil pastels, paint markers, and gouache were then added to the sketch. Bold colors, expressive lines, and unique shapes and shadows help to create a high contrast and dynamic drawing of a woman.

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This an abstract drawing of a baby smiling and laughing, entitled “Light Baby”. The 9″x12″ baby artwork was drawn and painted with a variety of mixed mediums, including pens, markers, oil pastels, acrylics, and watercolors. The baby face was sketched with pen and marker, followed by expressive lines of white oil pastel and acrylic paint applied to the white paper. Then washes of watercolor were used to add gradients of blended color across the face and background.

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This artwork is entitled “Spectrum”. The 9″x12″ artwork was created in 2011 with markers, pens, watercolors, paint pens, crayons, and acrylics. The abstract artwork consists of a spectrum of non-traditional colors, textures, and mediums drawn vertically on the paper. A pen was then used to draw closed eyes, a nose, and a mouth over the spectrum.

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This is an abstract drawing and painting of a face. The 9″x12″ abstract art was created in 2011 with a variety of mediums, including paint pens, colored pencils, crayons, watercolors, acrylics, oil pastels, markers, pens, and gouache. Expressive application of vibrant colors, meandering lines, and layered white space mix to create a determined facial expression forming on the paper.

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This is expressive abstract art I created with pastels in 2004. The colorful drawing is 9″ x 12″. The artwork is a tightly wound, but energetic, array of color and slight variations in texture. The artwork is entitled “Joy” and is comprised of unique abstract geometric shapes.

Please contact me, Michael D. Edens, if you would like to purchase a high quality print of this artwork.

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