plate no. 9965

08. Self Portrait 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett After Van Gogh Paris 1887

Anthony Padgett, 2017

oilPost-Impressionismsymbolic paintingportraitfiguremanfacehairclothing

what to study here

It shows how a three-value structure, selective hard edges, and unblended warm background strokes can hold a portrait together with very few elements.

Start with the value structure. Squint and the picture reduces to three masses: a pale face, a dark navy background and jacket, and warm mid-value marks activating the background. The forehead and upper cheekbones are the lightest notes, so the face holds first place against the cool dark surround. The red-orange strokes sweep vertically behind and around the head. They sit on top of the blue without being blended into it, and they work as a frame that pushes the eye back to the face. Study how the edges change. The cheekbone and eye outline are crisp, while the jaw softens into shadow. Light comes from above and left, so the right side of the face and the eye sockets carry the strongest shadows, painted in warm ochre rather than grey. The hair is built from blocky strokes that follow the form of the head, not individual hairs. Copy the restraint here: few colors, visible strokes, and hard edges placed only where a feature needs to be defined. The cool-dark and warm-pale contrast is the lesson, and the background marks show how much energy a simple gesture can add without competing with the head.

key decision

The painter kept the background red-orange strokes on top of the deep blue field without overblending, so they read as separate gestures while the pale face stays the dominant light mass.

recreation guide

This artwork, '08. Self Portrait 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett After Van Gogh Paris 1887', is an oil painting executed in the Post-Impressionist style, classified as symbolic painting. The work engages with the tradition of self-portraiture, a genre that evolved significantly with the adoption of oil painting techniques which allowed for greater realism, texture, and the layering of paint (Source 4). While the specific visual details of Padgett’s 2017 self-portrait are not described in the provided sources, the artist’s practice is grounded in the historical methods of oil painting, particularly the use of glazing and scumbling to achieve depth and tonal variation (Source 1). The piece likely reflects the artist’s engagement with the compositional elements of line, shape, color, and value to organize the visual structure of the portrait (Source 5).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions, allowing for drying times between glaze layers

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (pigment and drying oil)	Primary medium for the painting	—
Linseed oil	General purpose drying oil for mixing paints and glazing	Refined linseed oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for glazing to gain mastery over transparent coats	Dammar or synthetic resin varnish
Canvas or linen support	Surface for painting; linen is historically linked to flax seed sources of linseed oil	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Grisaille materials (black, white, ultramarine)	For creating the monochrome underpainting	Titanium white, Ivory black, Ultramarine blue

preparation

surface prep

The support is likely canvas or linen, as these materials became standard for oil painting in the 16th century and beyond, offering better resistance to cracking and pigment holding than wood (Source 4). The surface should be primed to accept oil paints. While specific priming recipes for Padgett are not detailed, the tradition of oil painting involves preparing a ground that can support the layering of transparent and semi-opaque paints (Source 4).

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Anthony Padgett’s underdrawing method. However, portrait painting traditions often involve careful preparatory sketches to establish realistic volume and perspective, especially in the face (Source 4). Given the Post-Impressionist style, the underdrawing might be loose or integrated into the underpainting phase.

underpainting

The artist likely employs a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) technique. This involves painting the initial layers using black, ultramarine, and white, effectively 'extracting' red and yellow colors to establish form and value before adding color (Source 1). This method allows the artist to focus on composition and light/shadow without the complexity of color mixing in the early stages.

color palette

Red and Yellow tones

Transparent red and yellow pigments

Glazing and scumbling over the grisaille to add warmth and color, mimicking the effect of tinting an engraving (Source 1)

Grey/Neutral tones

Black, Ultramarine, White

Creating the grisaille underpainting and potentially scumbling for coldness or grey blooms over darker grounds (Source 1)

White

Lead white historically, Titanium white modern

Highlights and mixing in the grisaille; historically valued for opacity and fast drying (Source 2)

composition

The composition likely utilizes the elements of design such as line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space to organize the portrait (Source 5). As a self-portrait, it may engage with the tradition of realistic volume and perspective established by Northern European artists who used oil colors to achieve finer brush strokes and detail (Source 4). The specific arrangement of the figure is not described in the sources, but the artist’s Post-Impressionist style suggests a focus on expressive use of color and form rather than strict realism.

step by step

underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing

underpainting

step 01
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white oil paints. This establishes the form and value structure of the portrait.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on what remains in nature without these hues (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Apply transparent coats of red and yellow tones using oil as a medium. This is known as glazing.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through (Source 1).
Glazing

drying

step 02
Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding.
Tip — Ensure the layer is quite dry to prevent mixing with subsequent glazes (Source 1).
Drying

refining

step 04
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, to add texture and modify tones. This can be done with oil or a mix of varnish and oil.
Tip — Scumbling over a darker ground tends to create coldness or a grey bloom (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Continue layering glazes and scumbles to build up the final color and depth, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Gain mastery over the medium by experimenting with the ratio of varnish to oil (Source 1).
Layering

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. This method was practiced by old masters and is central to the described process (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a dry layer to modify tone and texture. It allows the underlying painting to make itself felt, often creating cold or grey effects (Source 1).

Fat over Lean

Layering increasingly thick layers of paint over thinner ones to ensure structural integrity of the paint film. This is a general principle of oil painting technique (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying or cracking (Source 1).
→Using too much oil in early layers, violating the 'fat over lean' principle and risking long-term instability (Source 4).
→Ignoring the drying time differences between pigments and oils, which can cause wrinkling or uneven drying (Source 2).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of Anthony Padgett’s 2017 self-portrait (e.g., pose, clothing, background) are not described in the sources.
·The exact pigment palette used by Padgett for this specific work is not detailed; the guide infers from general oil painting practices.
·The specific canvas size and priming method used by the artist are not provided.
·Biographical details linking Padgett directly to the Michelangelo or Van Gogh references in the title are not present in the sources.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials (oils, pigments), drying times, and 'fat over lean' principle
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 8 — applied to Historical context of oil portraiture and realism
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 — applied to General compositional elements

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A three-quarter portrait of a man faces slightly left, lit from above and to the left, creating strong shadows on the right side of the face and eye sockets. The figure's pale head reads as the dominant light mass, anchored by a dark navy jacket and white shirt. Behind and around the head, bold red-orange gestural brushstrokes sweep vertically across a deep blue background, creating an energetic, almost agitated halo that frames the face and drives the composition. The eye lands first on the face due to its warm, pale value singing against the cool dark surround, then travels up through the swirling red marks.

value structure

The darkest darks anchor the composition—deep navy-blue background and dark jacket. The lightest lights cluster in the face, with the forehead and upper cheekbones reading nearly white against everything else. Between these extremes sit the red-orange marks (distinct mid-value warm accents), the grey-blue hair, and warm ochre shadows within the face. Squinting reveals a simple three-value structure: pale face, dark background and clothing, with warm mid-tone gestures activating the background.

observed palette and mixes

#d9c8a9
Titanium white + yellow ochre + touch of raw umber
Face base tone, forehead, cheekbones
#b9a282
Yellow ochre + raw umber + ultramarine blue
Warm shadows on face, eye sockets, jaw line
#34363e
Ultramarine blue + raw umber
Deep background field
#79675f
Ultramarine blue + raw umber + burnt sienna
Hair shadow and modeling
#593c39
Cadmium red + yellow ochre
Background expressionist marks

edges and brushwork

This work breathes post-impressionist energy through bold, visible brushstrokes that never apologize for their presence. The face edges are softer where forms turn and harder where features define themselves—the cheekbone catches a crisp edge, the eye outline is decisive, the jaw softens into shadow. The background red marks are purely gestural, laid with a medium round or flat brush in quick, directional sweeps that sit atop the blue without overblending. Hair is rendered in blocky, directional strokes following the form rather than individual hairs.

a working sequence

01
Composition block-in
Using pale yellow ochre thinned with medium, lightly sketch the head placement on your canvas. Establish the oval of the skull, the center line of the face, the placement of eyes roughly halfway down the head. Mark the shoulder width and the top edge of the jacket. Keep it loose and light—this is your guide, not your painting.
02
Background foundation
Mix ultramarine blue with a touch of raw umber to create a deep, cool navy. Block in the entire background area around the figure with a large flat brush. Don't worry about the red marks yet—establish this dark field first so it reads as a solid, unified mass.
03
Background expressionist marks
Mix cadmium red with a small touch of yellow ochre to a bright red-orange. Using a medium round brush, paint the sweeping vertical marks across the background. Notice they're not random—they pulse upward and diagonally, creating an energetic swirl. Let some marks overlap the background blue; don't overthink placement.
04
Face base tone
Mix titanium white with yellow ochre and a tiny whisper of raw umber to create a pale, warm cream. Block in the entire face shape from forehead to jaw. This should feel lighter than any shadow you'll add—this is your foundation for all modeling. Keep the edges loose; you'll refine them later.
05
Face modeling with shadow
Mix yellow ochre with raw umber and a touch of ultramarine blue for a warm-cool grey shadow. Identify the form: shadows fall in the eye sockets, under the cheekbones, along the right side of the jaw, and in the hollow of the neck where it meets the shirt. Apply these shadows with a smaller flat brush, letting them sit slightly darker than your base tone. The right side of the face (viewer's right) should be noticeably shadowed.
06
Eyes, nose, and mouth
Mix a dark brown from ultramarine, raw umber, and a touch of cadmium red. With a small round brush, define the eye shape, paint the pupils and irises with dark brown irises and lighter catch highlights. Paint the nose shadow along the right side with a thin line. Add the mouth line in a warm reddish tone. These marks should be decisive, not tentative—they anchor the face.
07
Hair
Mix ultramarine blue with raw umber and burnt sienna to create dark grey-blue tones. Using a medium flat brush, paint the hair shape with bold, directional strokes that follow the form of the head. The hair on top reads darkest; allow some strokes to suggest the texture of thick, swept-back hair. Don't blend obsessively—let the strokes show.
08
Clothing—shirt and jacket
Paint the white shirt collar with titanium white plus a tiny touch of yellow ochre (not pure white—it needs warmth to sit beside the face). For the jacket, mix ultramarine blue with raw umber and apply with a large flat brush. Model the jacket with slight variations in value where fabric folds catch shadow. The lapels and button area should show some internal structure but remain simple.
09
Final refinement and edges
Step back. Assess value relationships—does the face sing against the background? Check proportions: are the eyes at the right height? Refine edges selectively: sharpen the cheekbone edge, soften the ear edge. You may add a final warmth to the shadow side of the face or a tiny highlight on the forehead. Don't overwork—post-impressionism lives in restraint.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the face too yellow or too dark—it sits in a sweet spot between white and ochre. If it reads muddy, it's too dark or too saturated.
Overblending the background marks into the blue—they should read as intentional, energetic strokes that sit atop the background, not diffuse into it.
Softening the face too much. The eyes and mouth need crisp, decisive definition or the face loses its presence. This is oil paint—you can afford bold marks.
Ignoring the form under the paint. The shadows follow the skull anatomy (eye sockets, cheekbones, jaw). Without them, the face reads flat no matter how many colors you add.
Making the red background marks too uniform or too small. They're expressionist gestures that energize the composition—varying their size and angle matters.

measured difficulty