Self Portrait-1790 Shadow must be strong but transparent at the same time, that is to say not a thick but a ripe tone, accompanied by a strong reddish touch in the cavities, such as the eye socket, the nostrils and the darker, interior parts of the ear etc. The colour of the cheeks, if they are unpowdered, should have a peach tone in the hollows and a golden rose colour on the more fleshy parts, the two colours merging imperceptibly with the highlights to emphasise the facial bones which should be golden. You should take care that the highlights diminish gradually and that the most salient and consequently the brightest part is always the most luminous. The sharper the nose, the finer the light should be. You should paint in as much detail as possible, take care not to give the sitter an ambiguous gaze, and ensure that you make the pupils round.
Some people have large pupils and others small, but they are always perfectly round.
The upper half of the pupil is always intercepted by the upper eyelid, but if the person is angry you wiII often see the whole pupil. When the eye smiles, the lower half of the pupil is intercepted and covered by the lower eyelid. Sometimes the eye should reflect light from the nose and share some of its shadow. The eyelashes in the shaded part are clear and stand out bright and this is why you should use ultramarine when painting a light part that is in shadow. Observe the eye socket, which should be darker or lighter depending on its shape.