Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
For mixing and the flat background. Kahlo used flat opaque colours — white controls the value of every mix.
Warm skin base. Kahlo's skin tones are warm olive — darker and more golden than European masters. Like the colour of toasted corn tortilla.
Vivid warm yellow. For flowers, decorative elements, bright accents. Kahlo's palette is fearlessly chromatic. Like the yellow of marigolds on Dia de los Muertos.
Bold red. For lips, flowers, ribbons, blood. Kahlo used red without fear. Like the colour of fresh chilli peppers.
Deep transparent red. For dark reds in fabric and shadows on warm skin. Like the colour of dried roses.
For warm accents and Mexican folk decoration. Mixed with Yellow for marigold tones. Like the colour of fire and autumn.
For foliage, background plants, the deep green of Mexican jungle. Mixed with Yellow for bright tropical leaves.
For ribbons, skies, cool shadows. Mixed with Alizarin for deep purple accents.
Warm shadow skin colour. Also for hair — Kahlo's dark hair in braids.
Deep shadow and hair base. The darkest skin tones.
For the darkest accents. Hair base. Eyebrows — Kahlo's famous connected brow.
Flat brushes for flat colour. Kahlo's style is graphic — flat areas of colour with clean edges. Like painting a mural in miniature. Flats lay down even colour without texture.
For the finest details: individual hairs in the eyebrow, flower petals, decorative patterns, the thin moustache. Like drawing with paint.
For blending skin — Kahlo's skin is smoother than her backgrounds. The filbert creates soft gradients on the face.
Kahlo painted mostly small works on Masonite. Her self-portraits are intimate — often smaller than a laptop screen. The small size forces directness. No hiding behind scale.
For smooth flat application. Helps paint flow evenly for the flat colour areas. A drop per mix.
Keep brushes clean between vivid colours. Contamination dulls Kahlo's bold palette.
Kahlo painted from a mirror mounted on her easel. If painting yourself, set up a mirror at eye level next to your canvas. You will be looking at yourself the entire session — confronting your own face. This is what Kahlo did over 50 times.
Upload your photo. Click Kahlo. Flat vivid colour, direct gaze, graphic quality. Place next to your mirror.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need bright even daylight — Kahlo painted in her sunlit Mexican studio. Natural light. Windows open. The room should feel alive with colour and warmth — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Let the room flood with light. Kahlo's colours are vivid and need bright light to judge accurately. You are recreating Kahlo's actual studio: bright sunlit studio with warm natural light. If you can see a even bright daylight filling the room, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.