Demonstration: Creating Classical Oil Portraits by Cesar Santos

Materials
Oils: Old Holland (OH); and Winsor & Newton (WN)
Palette: (right to left) titanium white (OH), yellow ochre pale (WN), raw umber (WN), light red (WN), cadmium red (WN), alizarin crimson (WN),
terre verte (WN), ultramarine blue (OH), Indian red (OH) and ivory black (WN).
Brushes: No preference—the bigger the better
Canvas: Artfix Belgian linen, 84c

Step One: Placing the Shapes Step Two: Finding the Features

On a 20×14 linen canvas, using charcoal, I marked the placement of shapes. I’m measuring big distances, from the top of the head to the bottom of my beard and the width
of the head, so that the smaller distances can fit within the space.

Once the proportions look good, I start adding more information. I find the eye sockets, the nose and the rest of the features. My advice: If you have to put some value
down to see proportion, better do it, but don’t fall into shading or rendering. Remember, this stage is to facilitate the painting’s process, so don’t put in unnecessary details.

Step Three: Improving Shapes Step Four: Massing in the Darks

I want to take the drawing to a point where the viewer would recognise the individual and his mood. I double check the accuracy of shapes. With just proportions and a bit
of form information, you’ll have all you need to start considering other elements like values and colour. Before you start painting, however, make sure you fix the drawing
by using a fixative spray.
Since my canvas is white, I start by massing in the darks; otherwise, I won’t be able to judge the lights against the white of the canvas. Using burnt umber, I go over the
beard, hair and coat.
beard, hair and coat.

Step Five: Mixing Flesh colours Step Six: Developing colour

Now I mix light red and white for the lights of the flesh. For the shadows in the flesh, I mix a darkish value using raw umber, a touch of Indian red and white.
I paint the whole head using these two tints—mixing them to find the mid-tones; then I let this layer dry before moving on to the next step.
Having set myself up with good proportions, values, and a bit of muted colour, I can now focus on developing richer colouring; thus, I go over the flesh in a direct manner
with opaque paint as I look for the right values and colours—not focusing on rendering but just on bold, broken brushstrokes that describe the form and values of my
reflection in the mirror. I let this layer dry. My advice: Always adjust and improve the drawing, or rather, the proportion and alignment, to express better artistic values.
Step Seven:

After the previous stage has dried, I focus on refining all areas, piece by piece, improving the subtleties of value shifts and rendering the form.
This is the time to describe the surface by painting wet into wet all the nuances of hues I perceive.
I also make sure the handling of the brush is in accordance with the area painted. For example, the beard deserves a different treatment than the skin or background;
these subtle differences will give contrast to the work and keep the viewer interested in Self-Portrait (oil on linen, 20×14).