plate no. 1640
Self Portrait with Icon
Vajda Lajos, 1936
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying forms and using a limited color palette to create a cohesive and expressive image. It also encourages experimentation with texture through visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, hat, and clothing, paying attention to proportions.
- step 02
Apply a base layer of the background color (yellow-ochre) and let it dry.
- step 03
Block in the dark areas of the face, hat, and clothing with a dark brown/black mix.
- step 04
Add the blue areas of the clothing, creating vertical stripes with a slightly darker blue.
- step 05
Create the dotted pattern on the chest area using white or a very light blue.
- step 06
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes and mouth.
- step 07
Add subtle variations in color and value to create depth and texture.
- step 08
Allow to dry completely.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber
secondary · titanium white
Mix ultramarine blue with burnt umber to create the darker blues and blacks. Use white to lighten the blue for the dotted pattern.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the face.
- →Making the stripes too uniform.
- →Using too many colors.
- →Not allowing layers to dry properly.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
Use a canvas with a slightly textured surface to enhance the brushwork.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Dolly Sisters
Kees van Dongen
Nude with Loaves
Jean Helion
My Father
Carlos Botelho
Helen
Chronis Botsoglou
The portrait painter in the country
Albin Egger-Lienz
Marketta on Lázeňská street, Prague
Maria Bozoky
Winter at the Entrepotdok, in Amsterdam city
Paul Werner
Old Woman with Masks (Theatre of Masks)
James Ensor