plate no. 7641

Self Portrait

Petros Malayan, 1979

oilExpressionismself-portraitportraitfiguremanbeardclothingbackground

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses Petros Malayan's 1979 oil self-portrait, executed in the Expressionist style. While specific visual details of this particular canvas (such as the subject's pose, clothing, or background elements) are not described in the provided sources, the guide relies on established oil painting techniques and portrait composition principles relevant to the medium and genre. The process emphasizes the 'fat over lean' rule for layering, the use of glazing and scumbling to build depth, and the compositional focus on the eyes and eyebrows to convey character rather than mere likeness. The artist’s expressionist approach likely prioritizes the 'inner essence' of the subject over photographic realism, utilizing the expressive capacity of oil paint’s texture and translucency.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 4-6 weeks (allowing for oxidation drying times between layers)

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (artist grade)	Primary medium for color and form	—
Linseed oil	Medium to thin paint and increase oil content for upper layers ('fat over lean')	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent for thinning initial layers, cleaning brushes, and removing wet paint	Odorless mineral spirits (OMS)
Canvas	Support surface	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Charcoal or thinned paint	Initial sketching of the subject	Vine charcoal or diluted oil wash
Paintbrushes, palette knives, and rags	Application and manipulation of paint texture	—
Varnish (optional)	Final protection and sheen adjustment	Dammar or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be primed to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Malayan are not detailed, traditional oil painting often involves a ground that allows for proper adhesion. Ensure the surface is stable to prevent cracking, as the quality of the oil and ground leads to a strong paint film (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). For a self-portrait, focus on capturing the 'inner essence' and character rather than just a literal likeness (Source 3). The eyes and eyebrows are critical for conveying expression, as the mouth is often kept relatively neutral in historical portraiture (Source 3).

underpainting

Consider using a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values before applying color. This involves mentally extracting red and yellow tones to create a neutral base, which can later be glazed with color (Source 2). This technique helps in managing the 'inner significance' of the portrait (Source 3).

color palette

Neutral Grays/Browns

Black, white, and earth tones

Grisaille underpainting to establish form and value without color distraction (Source 2)

Reds and Yellows

Vermilion, cadmium, or ochre

Glazing and scumbling over the dry underpainting to introduce warmth and flesh tones (Source 2)

Ultramarine

Ultramarine blue

Historical method for initial oil painting layers, often mixed with black and white (Source 2)

White

Titanium or Zinc white

Highlighting and adjusting value in the underpainting and final layers (Source 2)

composition

While the specific composition of this self-portrait is not described, general principles suggest avoiding exact bisections of the picture space and ensuring the subject does not face directly out of the image unless a formal symmetry is desired (Source 6). The composition should guide the viewer's eye to a center of interest, likely the face, using contrast between detailed areas (eyes/eyebrows) and 'rest' areas (Source 6). The head may be positioned in a three-quarter view to reveal character more effectively than a full profile or frontal view (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the self-portrait onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on the placement of the eyes and eyebrows to convey character.
Tip — Ensure the sketch captures the 'inner essence' rather than just physical likeness (Source 3).
Initial Sketch

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome layer (grisaille) using oil of copavia or linseed oil with black, ultramarine, and white. Establish values and forms without color.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on structure (Source 2).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, apply glazes of red and yellow tones using oil. Use scumbling (semi-opaque paint) to adjust tones where needed.
Tip — Glazing adds transparency; scumbling allows the underlayer to show through (Source 2).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Build up layers following the 'fat over lean' rule: each subsequent layer must contain more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking.
Tip — Monitor drying times; oil paint dries by oxidation, taking days to weeks (Source 1).
Fat over Lean

finishing

step 05
Refine the eyes and eyebrows to convey specific emotions (wonder, pity, concentration, etc.) as these are key to portrait expression.
Tip — The eyes provide the most reliable information about the subject's character (Source 3).
Expressive Detail

varnishing

step 06
Apply varnish if desired to unify the sheen and protect the painting. Ensure all layers are fully dry.
Tip — Varnish can adjust the sheen and translucency of the final work (Source 1).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Fat over Lean

A basic rule of oil painting where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 1).

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and tone, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 2).

Scumbling

Using semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create a grey bloom or coldness, allowing the underlying painting to show through (Source 2).

Character Portraiture

Focusing on the expression of character and moral quality through the eyes and eyebrows, rather than temporary or accidental features (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, which can cause the final painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
→Focusing too much on literal likeness rather than the 'inner essence' or character of the subject (Source 3).
→Neglecting the eyes and eyebrows, which are crucial for conveying subtle emotions in portraiture (Source 3).
→Applying new layers before previous ones are dry, leading to muddied colors or structural instability (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of Petros Malayan's 1979 Self Portrait (pose, clothing, background, exact color scheme) are not described in the sources.
·Petros Malayan's specific personal painting habits or unique stylistic quirks beyond general Expressionism are not detailed.
·The exact dimensions or aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques (Source 2)

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Materials, fat over lean rule, drying times, and application tools (Source 1, Source 4)
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Focus on character, eyes, and eyebrows in portraiture (Source 3)
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to General composition principles like center of interest and avoiding bisection (Source 6)