plate no. 0522

Benito Perez Galdos

oil, canvasImpressionismportraitportraitmanclothingwindowinteriorsea

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting textures of clothing and creating depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
step 02
Establish the main light source and map out the areas of light and shadow.
step 03
Block in the background with broad strokes, paying attention to the color variations.
step 04
Begin painting the face, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Work on the clothing, using thicker paint and more visible brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Refine the details of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add the final touches, such as the cigarette and the cane.
step 08
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a harmonious and balanced painting.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black · yellow ochre

Mix burnt umber and raw sienna with white to create the skin tones. Add small amounts of blue or black to create shadows. Use yellow ochre to add warmth to the highlights.

techniques

·portraiture
·alla prima
·chiaroscuro
·broken color
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, ultramarine blue, ivory black, yellow ochre)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·rags