plate no. 7826

Self-Portrait as a Golf Player

Yasuo Kuniyoshi, 1925

oilExpressionismself-portraitfiguregolflandscapeskycloudssport

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating depth using atmospheric perspective. 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 figure and landscape, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the main color areas: sky, ground, figure's clothing, and skin.
step 03
Start refining the skin tones, mixing subtle variations of color for highlights and shadows.
step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, adding folds and creases with darker values.
step 05
Work on the background, creating depth by blurring distant elements.
step 06
Add details to the golf club and ball.
step 07
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the expression.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones using burnt umber, raw sienna, and white, adding small amounts of red for warmth and blue for shadows. Achieve the sky colors by blending burnt umber, white, and a touch of blue.

techniques