plate no. 8923

Benjamin West

oilRococoportraitportraitfigurebooksclothingbackgroundchair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It will also provide practice in depicting textures like fabric and paper.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and objects.
step 02
Block in the background with dark, muted tones, focusing on creating depth.
step 03
Establish the main values on the face, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Develop the clothing, starting with the jacket and then adding details to the ruffles.
step 05
Paint the books and scroll, focusing on their textures and colors.
step 06
Refine the facial features, adding subtle details to capture the likeness.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism.
step 08
Glaze to adjust the colors and values.

color palette

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

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · raw sienna

Mix various shades of gray and brown for the clothing and background. Use red and yellow ochre to create realistic skin tones, adding small amounts of blue for shadows.

techniques