plate no. 9965
08. Self Portrait 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett After Van Gogh Paris 1887
Anthony Padgett, 2017
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.
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