plate no. 6430

Self Portrait

Émilie Charmy, 1960

oilExpressionismself-portraitportraitfigurefacehairself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing a likeness with simplified forms. It also provides practice in using a limited color palette to create depth and mood.

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 and proportions of the head, shoulders, and hand.
step 02
Block in the background with dark greens and blues, leaving areas for the figure.
step 03
Apply the base colors for the skin tones (whites, pinks, and browns) using loose brushstrokes.
step 04
Add the orange and red tones for the clothing, blending them into the surrounding colors.
step 05
Define the facial features with darker values, paying attention to the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Use thicker paint and bolder brushstrokes to add highlights and texture to the face and hair.
step 07
Refine the edges and details, softening some areas and sharpening others to create depth.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust the overall balance of the painting.

color palette

primary · Prussian blue · Burnt umber · Titanium white · Cadmium orange

secondary · Alizarin crimson · Sap green

Mix white with burnt umber and a touch of alizarin crimson for skin tones. Use Prussian blue and burnt umber to create the dark background. Add cadmium orange to burnt umber for the clothing.

techniques

·Impasto
·Broken color
·Scumbling
·Dry brushing
·Color temperature

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the expressive brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Using too much detail and not enough simplification.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (Prussian blue, Burnt umber, Titanium white, Cadmium orange, Alizarin crimson)
·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·Flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil