Would you like to come up and see my etchings?

[Lyraina]

I wouldn't call that self portrait coloring a failed attempt. Every attempt is a success because you can learn something from it :) But yes, the colors (of the skin) are a bit dull, I guess you used a color layer over a greyscale painting? If you want to color that way, I suggest playing with the layer modes a bit, and stacking several layers on top of each other. That way you will get a feel for what works and what doesn't quickly. You might also want to try to color over a tinted version of the image (image->adjust color/saturation), for me this makes it easier than starting with a grey base. Other than that, I think one part of the problem is the background and shirt - both are very saturated, which kind of steal the attention of the skin and face. Sorry for sounding so critical - colors are such a complex topic... but I really like the opaque look of the brush strokes :)

I'm looking forward to what you're going to do with that piece with the skeleton. Very interesting and dynamic composition!
And keep up those gestures! :)