plate no. 5710

Self Portrait with Monkeys

Frida Kahlo, 1943

oil, canvasNaïve Art (Primitivism)self-portraitportraitmonkeysfoliageself-portraittropicalflower

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating depth through layering of foliage. It also provides practice in rendering fur and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the portrait, monkeys, and foliage, paying attention to proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the background foliage with broad strokes, establishing the overall color scheme.
step 03
Start building up the skin tones of the face and neck, using thin layers of paint and subtle color variations.
step 04
Paint the monkeys, focusing on capturing their fur texture and facial expressions.
step 05
Add details to the clothing and jewelry, using finer brushes.
step 06
Refine the foliage, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 07
Paint the bird of paradise flower, paying attention to its vibrant colors and unique shape.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the entire painting, ensuring a cohesive and balanced composition.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · viridian green · cadmium orange

Skin tones are achieved by mixing burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth and ultramarine blue for shadows. Foliage colors are created by mixing viridian green, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna.

techniques

·portrait painting
·glazing
·scumbling
·layering
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Getting proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Failing to create depth in the foliage.
→Ignoring subtle color variations in skin tones.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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