Self-Portrait (II)

 Bio-Cup season is long over. I got the second place, just as last year (congrats to Woomy). I did not post in August, mostly recovering from the contest seasons. But idle have I not been; I've got several unpublished models already. This was made for the contest season as well, to my LUG Palikkatakomo's painting contest in Helsinki Pii Poo event in mid-August. I got the first place in the contest (Palikkatakomo member voting). A sweet victory. The prize of 21332 The Globe was not bad either, though I haven't yet had time to open in.

So the subject was painting, and the rules stated maximum measurements of 48x48, not counting the frame (of abour 4 studs width in maximum two colours). The "depth" from the canvas was maximum 10 plates. I chose to "paint" the person I'm most familiar with. I knew I wanted to use ziplines for their unique pattern. Another idea was something Mucha-like with flowing hair. But this was more powerful, and indeed more personal. The composition is based on a self-portrait I made with oils in 2019 (picture below). The blue background is recycled here, and the shirt is the same (the hat is new, though, from Krakow). It seems that I really didn't check the original painting while building, though - only afterwards I noticed that the side of my head is the other one - aka I had the mirror on the left while painting and on the right while building...

This is not the first Lego self-portrait I've done, as I made a figure of myself in my winter gear in 2020. This larger scale offered more personal touch. The build was made essentially in two phases - I made the first version of nose, eyes and brows before midsummer, returing to the model after Bio-Cup, when I had a week or two before the event. The last fixes were made a day before the exhibit. Fortunately, the concept worked well, and I managed to capture my curly facial hair neatly. I'm especially fond of the shaping of the hat; and I had just enough wedge plates and tiles in blue hues to make the background interesting enough. The dark red of the frame was chosen to compliment the green shirt and the teals of the background, while still being classy enough for the style.

-Eero.