plate no. 4160

Self-portrait (detail from The Preaching and Acts of the Antichrist)

frescoHigh Renaissanceself-portraitportraitfiguremanhathairface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including understanding facial anatomy, color mixing for skin tones, and rendering realistic textures. It also provides practice in glazing and layering to achieve depth and subtle transitions.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the portrait, paying attention to proportions and placement of features.
step 02
Establish the basic skin tones with a mid-tone base layer.
step 03
Begin layering in shadows and highlights to define the form of the face, using thin glazes.
step 04
Paint the hair, focusing on the direction of the strands and variations in color.
step 05
Render the hat, paying attention to the folds and textures.
step 06
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add subtle details to the background.
step 08
Apply a final glaze to unify the painting and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt sienna, raw umber, and white, with small additions of red and yellow for warmth. Use ultramarine blue and black to create cooler shadows. Mix yellow ochre and white for highlights in the hair.

techniques