plate no. 4728

Self-Portrait in Black Shirt, Right Arm Outstretched

Avigdor Arikha, 2000

oilContemporary Realismself-portraitportraitfiguremanglasseshandshirt

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in layering colors with pastels to create realistic skin tones and capturing subtle variations in light and shadow. It also provides practice in rendering textures using hatching and cross-hatching techniques.

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 using a light pencil or charcoal.
step 02
Establish the background color with a light layer of pastel, blending it smoothly.
step 03
Begin layering in the darker values of the shirt and hair, using hatching and cross-hatching to build up the tones.
step 04
Start building up the skin tones, using a variety of pinks, oranges, and browns, layering and blending them to create a realistic effect.
step 05
Pay close attention to the highlights and shadows on the face and hand, using lighter and darker pastels to define the forms.
step 06
Add details such as the glasses, eyes, and mouth, using sharp pastels to create crisp lines.
step 07
Refine the overall composition by adjusting the values and colors as needed.
step 08
Fix the pastel with a light spray of fixative to prevent smudging.

color palette

primary · white · black · burnt umber · raw sienna

secondary · light blue · pink · orange · grey

Skin tones are achieved by layering and blending pinks, oranges, browns, and white. The shirt uses mixtures of black, grey, and white. The background is a light tint of blue and white.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·layering
·blending
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the pastels, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure, leading to a flat and lifeless portrait.
→Getting the proportions wrong, resulting in an inaccurate likeness.
→Using too much pressure when applying the pastels, making it difficult to blend.

materials

surface · pastel paper

required

·pastel set (various colors)
·pastel paper
·kneaded eraser
·drawing board
·fixative spray
·pencil
·paper towels

optional

·tortillon
·chamois cloth
·palette knife

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly rough texture to help the pastels adhere to the surface. A variety of soft and hard pastels will allow for greater control over the details.

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