plate no. 7276

Self-portrait

oilImpressionismself-portraitportraitfiguremanbeardclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and creating form with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of depth through layering.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and beard.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of blue and white.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, beard, and clothing using simplified values.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to refine the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Add details to the beard, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Refine the details of the clothing, capturing the folds and shadows.
step 07
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a sense of depth and realism.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to the face and beard to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · titanium white · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt umber · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of blue. The red clothing is a mix of cadmium red and a touch of burnt umber. The beard uses a mix of white, yellow ochre, and burnt umber.

techniques