plate no. 3383

Self-portrait

Edward Henry Potthast, 1925

oilImpressionismself-portraitportraitmanbeardfaceclothingself-portrait

some experience helpful

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

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and background.
step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by blocking in large areas of color, focusing on the background and major planes of the face.
step 03
Begin refining the skin tones by layering and blending different shades of red, yellow, brown, and white.
step 04
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
step 05
Define the beard and hair with short, directional brushstrokes, using a variety of colors to create texture and depth.
step 06
Work on the clothing, using darker values to create shadows and lighter values to create highlights.
step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and value to create depth.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · viridian

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and titanium white. Use small amounts of cadmium red light for warmth and ultramarine blue for cool shadows. Mix viridian with raw umber for the dark tones in the clothing.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color layering
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
→Failing to capture the correct proportions of the face.
→Using too much black, which can make the painting look muddy.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
→Not capturing the likeness of the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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