plate no. 5519
Self-portrait
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing light and shadow to create form. It also provides practice in rendering textures like hair and fabric with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, focusing on proportions and placement of features.
- step 02
Block in the main shapes and areas of color with thin washes of paint.
- step 03
Establish the darkest and lightest values to define the form.
- step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create realistic skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations.
- step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using smaller brushes.
- step 06
Render the hair and beard, using varied brushstrokes to create texture.
- step 07
Paint the clothing and background, keeping them relatively simple and muted.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values as needed to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · viridian
Achieve skin tones by mixing various combinations of white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of red and blue. Use raw umber and white for the hair and beard, adding small amounts of yellow ochre for highlights. Mix raw umber with ultramarine blue for the darker background and clothing areas.
techniques
- ·color mixing
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brush
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Neglecting to establish a strong value structure.
- →Focusing too much on details early on, before establishing the overall form.
- →Using too much paint, resulting in a thick and overworked surface.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
- ·oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, viridian)
- ·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·painting medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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