plate no. 7909

Admiral Robert Roddam

oilRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairhistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in painting fabrics and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, hair, and clothing.
step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in color and value.
step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Paint the hair, using short, broken strokes to create texture and volume.
step 07
Add details to the clothing, including the lace collar and embroidered waistcoat.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Use ivory black and burnt umber to create the dark background. Mix red and umber for the waistcoat.

techniques