‘Do some research into artist’s self portraits. Choose five or six that appeal to you’
The first artist that always comes to mind regarding figurative work is Lucien Freud.
http://www.wikiart.org/en/lucian-freud/self-portrait-1940#supersized-artistPaintings-232050
http://www.wikiart.org/en/gustave-courbet
http://www.wikiart.org/en/edvard-munch
http://www.wikiart.org/en/kuzma-petrov-vodkin/self-portrait-1921