I love this campaign. It is so true that we do not see ourselves as others do UNLESS you are in a beginners art class.
I, along with 8 other friends (some old, some new) recently completed a course of 6 art lessons. We were all beginners and sat around two tables, one night a week for about three hours at a time. We had wine and we chatted. But we were there to draw and our gentle and encouraging teacher controlled us in a surprisingly firm way (as one should do when wine and woman are involved). Each week we completed our tasks ranging from experimenting with our different pencils, "blind" drawing (not looking at your paper or pencil and slowly drawing the outline of an object), later being allowed to look at your paper and draw the same object, drawing pictures of the grand masters upside down, leaves, green peppers and pomegranates.
At about the half way mark we did portraits. This proved to be hysterical. For the first "sitting", Lesley (my oldest friend - not in age but in the years we go back) was my model. I politely asked her to look down so that I did not have to draw her eyes (too difficult) and so that I could concentrate on her lashes (with my freshly sharpened 6B pencil). It looked nothing like Lesley except for the lashes (I love drawing lashes) and the hair. Her return portrait of me at least bore a strong resemblance to me (actually more to my father (who art in heaven) than to myself). She did well. Another friendship in the group that went back to school days was tested when the first model was given a nose resembling Miss Stockart's nose (a teacher from way back (obviously with a hooked nose)). The next lesson they made sure that they sitting opposite each other and did not have to test the friendship any further. The funniest duo though were two ladies who had only just met. They kept apologising to each other "I'm really sorry Hannah, this looks absolutely nothing like you", "I am so, so sorry Susan, I promise you that your nose does not look like this" "You are so much prettier than this Susan", "You definitely look younger than this Hannah".
After watching this Dove campaign for the second time - there are longer and shorter versions on YouTube - I wondered how I would have described myself to the artist. "I have my father's double bum-chin, thin lips, a long straight nose, dark rings under my eyes and plenty of fine lines around them." You did well Lesley - you only gave me the double bum-chin!!
Roll on "Advanced Art Classes". I can't wait to get drawing nudes.
Eyes are very difficult!!
Not mine - picture here
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