plate no. 0051

Portrait in Black (Myself at Work)

Françoise Gilot, 1943

oilMagic Realismself-portraitportraitfigureartistpaintingself-portraitfemale

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and simple backgrounds.

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 proportions of the figure, canvas, and background.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face and body using a mid-tone underpainting.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, focusing on subtle color variations and smooth blending.
step 04
Paint the hair, paying attention to the direction of the light and the individual strands.
step 05
Render the black dress, using darker values to create depth and form.
step 06
Paint the background with soft, blended colors, creating a sense of atmosphere.
step 07
Add details such as the eyes, lips, and necklace.
step 08
Refine the painting, adjusting values and colors as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · ivory black

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, raw umber, cadmium red, and a touch of blue. The black dress is created using ivory black and raw umber, with subtle variations achieved by adding small amounts of blue or red.

techniques