plate no. 6945

Head

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigurefacehaireyes

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified portraiture and learn to build form with visible brushstrokes. It also provides an opportunity to experiment with limited color palettes and expressive mark-making.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, hair, and facial features using a pencil.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of yellow ochre paint.
step 03
Mix a base skin tone using burnt sienna, white, and a touch of red.
step 04
Apply the base skin tone to the face and neck, following the contours of the sketch.
step 05
Add darker values to the shadows using a mix of burnt sienna and a small amount of black.
step 06
Add highlights to the face using a lighter mix of the base skin tone with more white.
step 07
Paint the hair with black, adding subtle highlights with a touch of white.
step 08
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to the shapes and proportions.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · black · titanium white

secondary · red

Mix skin tones by combining burnt sienna, white, and a touch of red. Adjust the ratio to create highlights and shadows. Use yellow ochre for the background and mix black with white for the hair, adding highlights.

techniques