plate no. 0694

Self Portrait (detail)

oilPost-Impressionismself-portraitportraitfacemanhairself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and understanding how to use visible brushstrokes to define form. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and expression.

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, face, and hair.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of the dominant purple/gray color.
step 03
Establish the main shadow areas on the face with darker mixtures of browns and reds.
step 04
Begin layering in the mid-tones, focusing on the planes of the face and using short, directional brushstrokes.
step 05
Add highlights to the forehead, nose, and cheekbones with lighter skin tone mixtures.
step 06
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
step 07
Work on the hair, using darker browns and blacks to define the shape and texture.
step 08
Add final touches and adjustments to the overall composition.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, umber, and a touch of yellow ochre. Use blue and black to cool down shadows. The background is a mix of blue, white, and a touch of red and umber.

techniques

·broken color
·directional brushstrokes
·color mixing
·layering
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
→Using too much black, which can make the painting look muddy.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, ivory black)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·rags