plate no. 4513

Self-Portrait with Cigarette

oil, panelRealismself-portraitportraitfiguremancigaretteclothingself-portrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering form with light and shadow. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork and creating a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and features.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar earth tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color, focusing on the skin tones, hair, and clothing.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the subtle shifts in value and color.
step 05
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 06
Develop the background with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
step 07
Add details like the cigarette and the collar.
step 08
Adjust values and colors as needed to achieve a cohesive and harmonious result.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

secondary · ivory black · ultramarine blue

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and black for shadows and clothing. Add a touch of blue to darken the shadows.

techniques

·alla prima
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·color temperature

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Getting the proportions wrong and distorting the likeness.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 or similar)
·oil paints (burnt umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ivory black, ultramarine blue)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil or other painting medium
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags