plate no. 8643

Count Clement Wenceslaus of Saxony

pastelRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairrococo

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in subtle color blending for skin tones and rendering fine details like hair and facial features. It also offers practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of depth through shading.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the basic shapes of the head, hair, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a mid-tone gray or brown pastel.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, starting with a base of light peach or yellow.
step 04
Add shadows and highlights to define the facial structure, using pinks, blues, and browns.
step 05
Render the hair, paying attention to the direction of the curls and the play of light.
step 06
Define the clothing with darker tones and subtle highlights.
step 07
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth to capture the likeness.
step 08
Blend and soften edges to create a smooth, realistic finish.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · rose madder

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and small amounts of rose madder and blue. Use raw umber and black to create shadows and define the clothing.

techniques

·pastel blending
·layering
·scumbling
·highlighting
·shadowing

common pitfalls

→Overblending, which can result in a muddy or flat appearance.
→Using too much pressure, which can make the pastel look chalky.
→Neglecting the underlying structure of the face, leading to an inaccurate likeness.
→Ignoring subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · pastel paper (toned)

required

·pastel set (soft pastels)
·pastel pencils
·pastel paper (toned)
·kneaded eraser
·blending stumps
·fixative spray
·drawing board
·ruler

optional

·palette knife
·workable fixative
·soft chamois

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly textured surface to grip the pastel. A toned paper will make it easier to establish the mid-tones and create a sense of depth.

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