plate no. 7806

Self Portrait

paper, gold leaf, chalk, inkNorthern Renaissanceself-portraitportraitmale figurebeardclothingheadwear

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle blending of skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering fine details like hair and fabric texture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare the surface with a gold leaf or a similar golden background.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the face, headwear, and clothing.
step 03
Begin with a thin wash of color to establish the overall skin tone.
step 04
Gradually build up layers of color, focusing on the shadows and highlights to create depth.
step 05
Pay close attention to the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth to capture the likeness of the subject.
step 06
Render the beard and hair with fine, individual strokes to create texture.
step 07
Add details to the clothing, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 08
Refine the edges and details to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, and small amounts of cadmium red light. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black to create cool shadows and grays for the clothing.

techniques

·portraiture
·layering
·blending
·hatching
·rendering

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions
→Overblending, resulting in a flat appearance
→Neglecting subtle color variations in the skin
→Oversimplifying the details of the hair and beard

materials

surface · prepared wood panel or stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas or wood panel
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, ivory black, burnt sienna, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue)
·Assorted brushes (small round, small flat)
·Palette
·Linseed oil or other painting medium
·Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine
·Soft vine charcoal
·Gold leaf (optional)