plate no. 6011
Self Portrait with Small Monkey
Frida Kahlo, 1945
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating depth through layering and subtle value changes. Students will also practice rendering different textures like fur and fabric.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of Frida, the monkey, and the dog onto the canvas.
- step 02
Block in the background with light washes of color, establishing the overall tone.
- step 03
Begin layering the skin tones on Frida's face, using thin glazes of color to build depth.
- step 04
Paint the dark hair and eyebrows, paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes.
- step 05
Add the details of the monkey's fur and the dog's skin, using small, controlled strokes.
- step 06
Paint the ribbon, using highlights and shadows to create a sense of volume.
- step 07
Refine the details of the clothing and jewelry.
- step 08
Add the finishing touches, such as the signature and date.
color palette
primary · raw sienna · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing raw sienna, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use burnt umber and ivory black for dark areas and shadows. Mix yellow ochre with a touch of ultramarine blue to create muted greens for the background.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·color mixing
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Not paying attention to the direction of the light.
- →Using too much paint, resulting in a thick, heavy texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·oil paints (raw sienna, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, ivory black)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Allow each layer of paint to dry before applying the next.
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