plate no. 3917

Portrait of James Baldwin

Beauford Delaney, 1965

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigurefacehairyellow backgroundclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and color mixing to create skin tones and capture a likeness. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Block in the background with a base layer of yellow, varying the tone slightly.
step 03
Establish the darkest areas of the hair and face with dark brown.
step 04
Mix a range of skin tones using browns, yellows, and reds, and apply them with visible brushstrokes.
step 05
Define the facial features, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 06
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Paint the clothing with varying shades of yellow, following the form.
step 08
Refine the brushwork and color variations to create a sense of depth and texture.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · raw sienna

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Mix skin tones by combining burnt umber, raw sienna, yellow ochre, and small amounts of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue. Use more yellow for highlights and more umber/blue for shadows. Vary the yellow by mixing in white or a touch of green.

techniques

·impasto
·broken color
·scumbling
·alla prima
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Using too much of a single color for the skin tone.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in light and shadow.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw sienna, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, titanium white)
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags