plate no. 2277

Self-portrait

pastelRealismself-portraitportraitmanhatbeardclothingself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones with subtle color variations. It also provides practice in creating soft edges and blending pastels for a realistic effect.

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, hat, and shoulders.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow using a light pastel color.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, starting with lighter shades and gradually adding darker values.
step 04
Define the features of the face, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Add details to the hair and beard, using short, broken strokes to create texture.
step 06
Block in the hat with a dark blue pastel, blending the edges to create a soft halo.
step 07
Render the clothing with loose, expressive strokes, capturing the folds and patterns.
step 08
Refine the background with soft, blended colors, creating a sense of depth.

color palette

primary · flesh tones (various shades of pink, peach, and brown) · ultramarine blue · raw umber

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white · burnt sienna

Mix flesh tones by blending pink, peach, and brown pastels. Use white to lighten values and blue to create shadows. Achieve the hat color by mixing ultramarine blue with a touch of raw umber.

techniques

·pastel blending
·layering
·soft edges
·portraiture
·rendering skin tones

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the softness of the pastel medium.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Using harsh lines and edges instead of soft blending.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · Pastel paper (toned)

required

·Pastel set (soft pastels)
·Pastel paper (toned)
·Kneaded eraser
·Blending stumps or tortillons
·Fixative spray
·Drawing board
·Soft cloths for cleaning pastels
·Pencil for sketching

optional

·Palette knife
·Workable fixative
·Easel

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly textured surface to grip the pastel. A toned paper will help to establish the mid-tones and make it easier to build up the values.

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