plate no. 6351

Fred Yates by Fred Yates (Self-Portrait)

oilNaïve Art (Primitivism)self-portraitportraitmanbookself-portraitface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and color mixing to create form and texture. It also encourages experimentation with non-traditional color choices in portraiture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and book.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color, focusing on large shapes rather than details.
step 03
Start building up layers of paint, using thick impasto strokes to define the form.
step 04
Mix colors directly on the canvas to create a textured and vibrant effect.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of the brushstrokes to suggest the contours of the face and clothing.
step 06
Add details such as the eyes, mouth, and the text on the book.
step 07
Refine the colors and values, adjusting the highlights and shadows as needed.
step 08
Add final touches and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · purple · orange · pink · raw umber

Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue and white for the shirt, adding touches of other colors for variation. Mix red and blue for purples.

techniques

·impasto
·broken color
·alla prima
·expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Getting bogged down in details too early.
→Not using enough paint and creating a thin, weak painting.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, cadmium red, yellow ochre, titanium white, raw umber)
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits