plate no. 1604
01. A Portrait by Anthony of His Brother, Philip 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett (after Theo by Van Gogh C.1880)
Anthony Padgett, 2017
recreation guide
This artwork, '01. A Portrait by Anthony of His Brother, Philip 2017' by Anthony D. Padgett, is a contemporary oil painting executed in the Post-Impressionist style, explicitly referencing Vincent van Gogh’s c. 1880 portrait of Theo. As a symbolic painting, it likely prioritizes emotional resonance and structural composition over strict photorealism. The recreation process relies on traditional oil painting techniques documented in historical treatises, specifically the method of building a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) before applying transparent color layers. This approach aligns with the 'old masters' practice of glazing and scumbling, which allows for deep, luminous color effects that are difficult to achieve with opaque mixing alone (Source 1).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 6-8 weeks (allowing for drying times between glaze layers)
materials
7 items
steps
7 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Linen canvas | Support for the oil painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Gesso or oil ground | To create a smooth, absorbent surface for the underpainting | Acrylic gesso or traditional rabbit-skin glue and chalk ground |
| Black, Ultramarine, and White pigments | For the initial monochrome underpainting (grisaille) | Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White (or Lead White historically) |
| Linseed oil | Primary drying oil medium for binding pigments and creating glazes | Refined linseed oil |
| Oil of Copavia (or Dammar resin) | Historical medium mentioned by Reynolds for first and second paintings; provides gloss and flow | Dammar varnish mixed with odorless mineral spirits or linseed oil |
| Red and Yellow pigments | For the final glazing and scumbling stages to introduce warmth and local color | Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow, or modern equivalents |
| Siccative (optional) | To accelerate drying time of oil layers | Cobalt or Litharge driers (use with caution due to toxicity) |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a linen support with a traditional oil ground or modern acrylic gesso. The surface should be smooth to facilitate the fine detail required in a portrait. Historically, a white or light-toned ground is preferred for glazing techniques to allow light to reflect back through transparent layers (Source 3).
underdrawing
Sketch the composition lightly in charcoal or thinned oil. Given the Post-Impressionist style, the drawing should focus on the structural integrity of the face and the symbolic positioning of the figure, rather than rigid line work. The composition should balance the positive space of the figure with the negative space of the background (Source 5).
underpainting
Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using only black, ultramarine, and white. This step establishes the values (lights and darks) of the portrait. As noted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first and second paintings are often done with these limited colors to establish form without the distraction of hue (Source 1). This layer must be completely dry before proceeding.
color palette
Ultramarine/Black/White
Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, White
Underpainting (grisaille) to establish value structure
Warm Reds and Yellows
Vermilion, Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson
Glazing and scumbling to introduce local color and warmth, simulating the effect of light on skin and clothing
Neutral Grays
Black and White mixed with Ultramarine
Background and shadows in the underpainting
composition
The composition likely follows the vertical orientation typical of Van Gogh’s early portraits. The subject is centered or slightly off-center, with the head occupying the upper third of the canvas. The background is likely simplified to avoid distracting from the facial expression, consistent with the symbolic genre’s focus on internal state rather than environmental detail (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→drying→refining→finishing→glazing→scumbling
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the portrait’s proportions on the prepared canvas. Focus on the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth, ensuring the symbolic weight of the gaze is captured.
Tip — Keep lines loose; they will be covered by the underpainting.
Direct drawing
underpainting
step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia or linseed oil. Paint the entire portrait in monochrome, establishing all light and shadow values. This is the 'grisaille' stage.
Tip — Ensure the darkest darks and lightest lights are established here, as color will be added transparently later.
Grisaille
drying
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Do not rush this step; wet glazes will mix with wet underpainting, ruining the transparency.
Drying
refining
step 06
Adjust colors based on simultaneous contrast. Observe how adjacent colors affect each other; for example, a red glaze next to a blue shadow will make the blue appear more violet.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may perceive colors inaccurately due to fatigue or previous viewing; step back frequently.
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 07
Final adjustments to highlights and shadows. Ensure the symbolic intent of the portrait is clear through the interplay of light and color.
Tip — Avoid overworking the paint; the beauty of this method lies in the layered transparency.
Final Glazing
glazing
step 04
Apply thin, transparent layers of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. This mimics the effect of tinting an engraving with watercolors. Use linseed oil or a varnish-oil mix as a medium.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and luminosity. Apply sparingly to avoid muddying the underlying values.
Glazing
scumbling
step 05
Apply semi-opaque paint (scumbling) over darker areas to cool them down or create a 'grey bloom.' This technique allows the underlying painting to show through, creating complex color interactions.
Tip — Scumbling over dark grounds tends to create coldness, useful for shadows or background elements.
Scumbling
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry monochrome underpainting to achieve depth and luminosity, as practiced by old masters and described by Reynolds.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint to allow the underlying layer to show through, creating complex tonal effects and cooling down dark areas.
Simultaneous Contrast
Adjusting colors based on how they interact with adjacent hues, ensuring that the perceived color matches the intended emotional or symbolic tone.
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is fully dry, which results in muddy colors rather than transparent layers (Source 1).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to colors that appear dull or incorrect when viewed in context (Source 2).
- →Using too much medium in glazes, causing the paint to run or sag on the canvas.
- →Overworking the scumble layers, which can obscure the underlying value structure established in the grisaille.
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific details of Anthony D. Padgett’s personal palette or brushwork style are not provided in the sources; the guide relies on general Post-Impressionist and Old Master techniques.
- ·The exact symbolic elements intended by the artist in this specific portrait are not described in the sources, so the recreation focuses on technical execution rather than interpretive symbolism.
- ·No specific information on the background details or clothing patterns is available, so these are treated as generic compositional elements.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color adjustment and refinement steps
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials list and medium preparation
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Compositional structure and element organization
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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