plate no. 1479

Self-Portrait (No.3)

Ivan Albright, 1981

oilMagic Realismself-portraitportraitmanhatfaceelderlyself-portrait

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and expressive brushwork to create texture and form. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and conveying emotion through facial features.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, hat, and shoulders.
step 02
Establish the background color with a dark, muted red-brown.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face and hat using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create the complex skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in hue and value.
step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, focusing on capturing the likeness and expression.
step 06
Use bold, visible brushstrokes to define the texture of the hat and clothing.
step 07
Refine the edges and details, adding highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red and ultramarine blue to adjust the warmth and coolness. Use ivory black to darken shadows.

techniques

·impasto
·dry brush
·scumbling
·color layering
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, which can flatten the image and lose the expressive brushwork.
→Getting the proportions wrong, which will affect the likeness.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, resulting in unnatural skin tones.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in value and hue, which will make the painting look flat and lifeless.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, ivory black, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags