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home·artworks·Self-Portrait with Two Circles
Self-Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrandt van Rijn

plate no. 3776

Self-Portrait with Two Circles

Rembrandt van Rijn, 1665

oilBaroqueself-portraitportraitfigureclothinghatfacehands
experienced study

Students would develop advanced portraiture skills including flesh tone mixing, chiaroscuro lighting techniques, and expressive brushwork that captures character and emotion.

technical profile

palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

  1. step 01

    Begin with a detailed charcoal sketch focusing on accurate proportions and facial features

  2. step 02

    Block in the dark background using burnt umber mixed with raw umber

  3. step 03

    Establish the basic flesh tones using a warm underpainting

  4. step 04

    Build up the face gradually with warm and cool flesh tones, paying attention to form modeling

  5. step 05

    Paint the dark clothing and hat using various mixtures of browns and blacks

  6. step 06

    Refine facial features with careful attention to eyes, nose, and mouth

  7. step 07

    Add final highlights and texture details to clothing and skin

  8. step 08

    Complete with subtle adjustments to edges and atmospheric effects

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red light · raw sienna · ivory black · naples yellow

Flesh tones created by mixing yellow ochre, cadmium red, and white with subtle additions of raw umber for shadows

techniques

  • ·chiaroscuro lighting
  • ·alla prima painting
  • ·impasto highlights
  • ·glazing for depth
  • ·soft edge blending

common pitfalls

  • →overworking facial features
  • →making flesh tones too pink or yellow
  • →losing form in shadow areas
  • →creating harsh edges on facial transitions

materials

surface · stretched canvas primed with gesso

required

  • ·#6 flat bristle brush
  • ·#2 round sable brush
  • ·#10 filbert brush
  • ·burnt umber oil paint
  • ·raw umber oil paint
  • ·yellow ochre oil paint
  • ·cadmium red light oil paint
  • ·titanium white oil paint
  • ·stretched canvas 16x20

optional

  • ·palette knife
  • ·painting medium
  • ·#4 fan brush
  • ·ivory black oil paint

Use quality brushes as this painting requires both bold strokes and fine detail work

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related guides

oil painting for beginners →chiaroscuro →paint like rembrandt →how to learn by studying the masters →
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