plate no. 0587

Self-Portrait

Dobri Dobrev, 1934

oilRealismself-portraitportraitfaceself-portraitman

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing light and shadow on a face. It also provides practice in creating form with visible brushstrokes.

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, face, and hair.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas with thin washes of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, mixing colors to match the subtle variations.
step 04
Focus on accurately capturing the shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Add details to the hair, using varied brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Refine the edges and transitions between light and shadow.
step 07
Add highlights to the face and hair to create depth.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a likeness.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna

Mix skin tones by combining white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Use blue and umber to create shadows. Adjust the ratios to achieve the subtle color variations in the face.

techniques

·alla prima
·color mixing
·blocking in
·scumbling
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Using too much white, making the colors look chalky.
→Neglecting the subtle color variations in the face.
→Getting the proportions of the facial features wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 inch)
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, raw sienna)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits