plate no. 3706

Self-Portrait

oilRealismself-portraitportraitfigurebeardfaceold manself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand the use of chiaroscuro to create dramatic lighting and practice rendering realistic skin tones and textures, especially in the beard and hair.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare a canvas with a dark, neutral ground.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and beard, paying attention to proportions.
step 03
Block in the darkest areas of the background and clothing with a deep, muted black.
step 04
Begin layering in the mid-tones on the face, using thin washes of color.
step 05
Gradually build up the highlights on the forehead, nose, and cheekbones.
step 06
Start defining the beard and hair with loose, textured brushstrokes, using a mix of light and dark tones.
step 07
Refine the details of the eyes and mouth, paying close attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt sienna, raw umber, yellow ochre, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. Mix ivory black with raw umber for the dark background.

techniques