plate no. 0681
Self-portrait
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including proportion, value, and color mixing for skin tones. It also offers practice in creating a sense of depth and form using subtle gradations of tone.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and collar.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, starting with mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
- step 04
Pay close attention to the subtle color variations in the face, especially around the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Define the features of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful attention to detail.
- step 06
Work on the beard and hair, using short, broken strokes to create texture.
- step 07
Paint the clothing and background, keeping the values relatively dark and muted.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to bring the painting to life.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ivory black · burnt umber · yellow ochre
secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Use black and umber for dark areas, and blue to cool down shadows.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·value studies
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin.
- →Getting the proportions wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to speed up the painting process.
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