plate no. 1362

Self Portrait with Palette

oilContemporary Realismself-portraitself-portraitfigurepaletteartistglassesstudio

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and capturing likeness, as well as understanding subtle value shifts to create form. It also provides practice in rendering different textures, such as skin, fabric, and metal.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the overall composition and proportions of the figure and background elements.
step 02
Block in the major shapes and values using thin washes of color, focusing on the overall light and shadow patterns.
step 03
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the angles and proportions of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, palette, and background, gradually adding more detail and texture.
step 05
Work on the skin tones, building up layers of color to create a realistic and luminous effect.
step 06
Pay attention to the edges of the forms, softening or hardening them as needed to create depth and atmosphere.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality of the subject.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors, values, and details to achieve a cohesive and realistic representation.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, raw umber, and small amounts of cadmium yellow and alizarin crimson. Use ultramarine blue and raw umber to create the darker tones in the clothing and background.

techniques

·Underpainting
·Layering
·Blending
·Scumbling
·Glazing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions wrong, especially in the face.
→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the initial layers.
→Failing to capture the subtle value shifts that create form.
→Ignoring the importance of edges in creating depth and atmosphere.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, ivory black, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags