plate no. 7903
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear
Vincent van Gogh, 1889
experienced study
Students will develop expressive brushwork techniques and learn to convey emotion through bold, directional strokes while practicing color temperature relationships in flesh tones.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Start with a basic sketch mapping facial proportions and pose
- step 02
Block in major color areas with flat washes - coat, background, skin
- step 03
Establish the bandaged ear area with white and blue tones
- step 04
Build up flesh tones using warm yellows, oranges, and cooler greens
- step 05
Add directional brushstrokes to the green coat following fabric folds
- step 06
Paint the Japanese print background element with bright colors
- step 07
Develop facial features with confident, expressive strokes
- step 08
Add final details and refine color relationships
color palette
primary · viridian green · cadmium orange · ultramarine blue · raw umber
secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · titanium white · burnt sienna
Mix flesh tones with orange, yellow ochre, and touches of green for shadows. The green coat uses viridian with yellow for highlights and blue for shadows.
techniques
- ·directional brushwork
- ·impasto application
- ·color temperature modeling
- ·expressive mark-making
- ·wet-on-wet blending
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the brushstrokes
- →Making flesh tones too pink
- →Not maintaining consistent light source
- →Losing the bold, confident stroke quality
materials
surface · primed cotton canvas with medium texture
required
- ·#6 flat bristle brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·#2 round brush
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·cadmium orange oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·stretched canvas 16x20 inches
optional
- ·palette knife for mixing
- ·#10 flat brush for blocking
- ·stand oil medium
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use quality bristle brushes that hold their shape well for the characteristic Van Gogh brushwork texture
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