plate no. 0736

Self Portrait

Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, 1942

oilExpressionismself-portraitportraitfigurefaceheadself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified portraiture and explore expressive brushwork to convey form and emotion. It also provides a good exercise in limited color palette mixing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and background frame.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, hair, clothing, and background.
step 03
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the placement and size of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 04
Add shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
step 05
Use visible brushstrokes to add texture and interest to the painting.
step 06
Mix and apply subtle variations in skin tone to capture the unique character of the portrait.
step 07
Add details to the hair and clothing, using darker colors to define the shapes.
step 08
Adjust the overall composition and color balance to create a cohesive and expressive portrait.

color palette

primary · gray · ochre · black · white

secondary · brown · blue-gray

Mix ochre and white for the base skin tone, adding small amounts of gray and brown for shadows. Use white and black to create various shades of gray for the background and clothing.

techniques