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I don't mean look at yourself in the mirror - that would be way too deep a topic!  I'm referring to evaluating your own artwork.

When I'm getting close to completing a painting, one of the helpful tricks I use to critique my own painting is to take the painting before a mirror. (I've already written about taking pictures with my cell phone and removing the color here, but I'm using the mirror more and more lately.) 

Dim the lights.

The obvious place for me to do this is in the small bathroom attached to my studio. I turn off any artificial lights and rely only on the soft daylight streaming through the windows in the bathroom and studio, which allows me to assess my painting's shapes and values without being distracted by details.

Include the reference photo.

I hold up the painting and the reference photo side-by-side, still attached to the support board. Then I examine the painting's reflection in the mirror. Seeing the painting in reverse is like seeing it with fresh eyes! It's amazing how you can instantly spot mistakes you didn't notice before. 

Try it yourself!

You'll be able to see faulty proportions, skewed faces, incorrect value relationships, and more!

Upside down.

You can also take the painting, still before the mirror, and turn it upside down, another great assessment trick which can help you find errors you didn't notice before.

Paint. Love. Repeat.