plate no. 4961

Arthur Hacker

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingfacehair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering form with visible brushstrokes. It also offers practice in subtle color mixing for skin tones and clothing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure on the canvas.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas with a thin wash of burnt umber.
step 03
Block in the main skin tone areas, focusing on the planes of the face.
step 04
Develop the hair with short, broken brushstrokes, using a mix of browns and oranges.
step 05
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 06
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add highlights and details to the hair and clothing.
step 08
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a harmonious composition.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and small amounts of red and umber. Use blue and black to create cooler shadows. Add small amounts of red to the ears and nose.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color mixing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Using too much detail in the background.
→Not paying attention to the light source.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, ivory black)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife