plate no. 6582

Pašportrets

Guntis Strupulis, 1968

oil, canvasSurrealismself-portraitself-portraitfigurebuildingsdogssurrealcityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including proportion and skin tone mixing, as well as understanding surrealist composition and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition, paying attention to proportions and perspective.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the background buildings and then the figure.
step 03
Begin to refine the shapes and values of the figure, focusing on the face and hands.
step 04
Add details to the buildings and background elements, such as the dogs and running figure.
step 05
Mix and apply skin tones, using subtle variations to create form and depth.
step 06
Add the details of the clothing and glasses.
step 07
Refine the overall composition and add any final details.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify colors and add depth.

color palette

primary · ivory black · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Mix various shades of gray and beige for the buildings. Skin tones can be achieved by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of burnt sienna for warmth and ultramarine blue for cool shadows.

techniques

·blocking in
·layering
·glazing
·blending
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of the figure.
→Overly harsh or unrealistic skin tones.
→Lack of depth in the background.
→Ignoring subtle color variations.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (ivory black, yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·rags