plate no. 5069
Portrait of Diego Rivera
Frida Kahlo, 1937
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand color mixing for skin tones and how to create depth with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and basic portrait composition.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin, even layer of color.
- step 03
Establish the main skin tone using a base color mixture.
- step 04
Begin layering in shadows and highlights on the face, blending carefully.
- step 05
Paint the hair, paying attention to the direction of the strands.
- step 06
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and shadows.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red
Skin tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white, with small amounts of red or blue to adjust the hue. Darker tones are created by adding burnt umber or black.
techniques
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·value study
- ·portrait sketching
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Using too much paint, which can make blending difficult.
- →Neglecting the subtle value changes in the skin.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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