plate no. 9599

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigurebeardleavesman

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding how to create depth using subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a mid-tone brown.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and background foliage.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: the skin tones, beard, clothing, and background.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones by layering lighter and darker values to create form.
step 05
Add details to the face, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Develop the beard with varied brushstrokes and color nuances.
step 07
Paint the foliage using loose, expressive strokes.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall depth and realism.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · sap green

Achieve skin tones by mixing raw sienna, burnt umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red light for warmth. Use ivory black and burnt umber for the dark clothing and background.

techniques