plate no. 3557

Blind Beggar

oilRealismportraitfigureportraitmanbeardclothinghat

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering textures like hair and fabric. It also provides practice in creating a limited palette and using tonal variations to create form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hands.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of neutral tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the figure's clothing, hair, and skin, using a limited palette.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying close attention to the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Develop the texture of the beard using short, broken brushstrokes and varying values.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, such as folds, buttons, and highlights.
step 07
Refine the hands and the hat, paying attention to their form and texture.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with small amounts of secondary colors. Use white to lighten values and black to darken them. Mix a range of grays and browns for the clothing and background.

techniques