Emile Bernard

A three-quarter portrait of a young man, gazing slightly downward and to his left. Light comes from the upper left, illuminating the warm, yellowish face against a cool, mottled greenish-gray background that dominates the composition. The dark jacket fills the lower half in near-black tones, with a small reddish collar accent. The eye travels first to the face due to its warmth and value contrast, then outward to the patterned background brushwork. The head is positioned slightly off-center toward the right, leaving generous space above.

The painting rests on three distinct value zones: the very light face (with warm yellow-ochre as the base), the very dark clothing and hair (nearly black), and the mid-tone atmospheric background that bridges them. When squinted, the face reads as a unified light mass against the surrounding darks. Within the face itself, subtle modeling moves from brighter cheekbones to cooler, darker shadows around the eye sockets and jaw line. The background contains considerable internal variation—greens, grays, and ochre yellow accents—but stays consistently in the mid-dark range.

• #837761

  Yellow ochre + raw umber with white

  Base skin tone on forehead, cheeks, and temple—the warm foundation of the face

• #544c46

  Raw umber + cadmium red light

  Shadow tones on the jaw, cheek recession, and beneath the nose—cooling and deepening the skin

• #312728

  Prussian blue + cadmium red light + raw umber

  The darkest shadows in the eye sockets and along the jaw line, and the deeper tones in the hair

• #60635d

  Titanium white + Prussian blue + yellow ochre

  The cool-gray mid-tones throughout the background, blended loosely with visible brushstrokes

• #585b56

  Raw umber + Prussian blue + white

  Slightly warmer grays and the mottled atmospheric background areas

• #151013

  Ivory black + cadmium red light

  The nearly-black jacket, the deepest hair shadows, and the pupil and iris

The edges throughout are notably soft—the face melts into the background rather than cutting sharply, especially at the temples and forehead where warmer tones gradate into cool grays. The background is alive with visible brushstrokes, applied with loose, somewhat directional marks that create texture and movement without describing form. The face itself is smoother and more blended than the background, but still shows the artist's hand in the placement of warm and cool notes. The hair is rendered with more deliberate, linear marks that suggest direction and mass, particularly the dark strokes sweeping across the crown.

1. 01

   Map the composition and value study

   Lightly sketch the head position slightly off-center to the right, leaving generous space above. Block in three broad value zones: the light face mass, the dark clothing mass below, and the mid-tone background fill. Use charcoal or dilute paint to identify where the brightest lights sit (forehead, cheekbone highlights) and where the darkest darks live (hair, jacket, deep eye socket shadows).

2. 02

   Establish the background field

   Loosely paint the entire background with a muted mix of Prussian blue, yellow ochre, and white—keep it greenish-gray and slightly textured rather than uniform. Work around the head but don't worry about precision; the background should feel atmospheric and worked. Use visible brushstrokes and leave hints of the canvas showing through in places. This establishes the cool shell against which the warm face will read.

3. 03

   Block in the clothing and hair

   Paint the jacket in a very dark mix of ivory black + cadmium red light, keeping it flat and simple. Establish the hair mass in deep brown-black tones. At this stage, treat both as solid, simple shapes—the complexity comes later. Pay attention to the collar area where a small reddish-maroon accent (a scarf or tie) appears; reserve that note for now or hint at it lightly.

4. 04

   Lay down the warm skin foundation

   Cover the face with a warm yellow ochre + raw umber + white mix—think of it as a unified base layer. Don't model yet; aim for a consistent peachy-gold tone across the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. This warm note is your anchor; everything else will play against it. Keep edges soft where the face meets the background, even now.

5. 05

   Define the facial features and shadow structure

   Working wet-into-wet or wet-on-dry, paint the dark shadow areas: deep sockets under the eyes using raw umber + Prussian blue, the shadow along the jaw using raw umber + cadmium red, the shadow down the nose. The gaze is directed downward and slightly left, so the upper lids and the space under the eyes are notably dark. Place the simple pupils and irises in near-black, leaving a tiny highlight. Paint the mouth with warm reddish-brown, keeping it minimal and understated.

6. 06

   Refine skin tones with warmth and coolness

   The left side of the face (from our view) receives more light and needs warmer, brighter notes—add more yellow ochre and even hints of cadmium red light to the cheekbone and temple. The right side recedes into cooler shadow tones (raw umber + Prussian blue, even touches of cool gray). Blend these transitions softly so the modeling feels alive, not harsh. The forehead catches the brightest light; it can read slightly cooler than the cheek due to the overhead light direction.

7. 07

   Render the hair with directional marks

   The hair is very dark but not flat black. Use raw umber + ivory black on the shadow side and allow some warmer, reddish-brown tones (raw umber + cadmium red light) to emerge on the crown where light strikes it. Apply paint with deliberate, somewhat linear brushstrokes that suggest the fall and mass of the hair. The back of the head curves away from us; let your strokes follow that form. Soften where the hair meets the background.

8. 08

   Unify, refine edges, and add final warmth

   Step back and check value relationships: the face should read as a clear, warm light form against cooler, darker surroundings. Soften any hard edges where needed, especially where the face meets the background—these soft edges are crucial to the painting's delicacy. Add the small reddish-maroon collar accent at the neck if not yet done. Strengthen highlights on the forehead and cheekbones with a touch more white and yellow ochre. The background can receive a final pass of softly blended color adjustments. Let brushwork remain visible throughout; this is not a polished, seamless finish.

• Overworking the face and losing the soft edges that make this portrait atmospheric—resist blending everything into slickness; leave the brushwork visible and let colors sit side-by-side.
• Making the background too uniform or too busy; it should feel textured and atmospheric without competing with the face. Keep it in the mid-tone range and avoid bringing bright or saturated colors into it.
• Mixing skin tones that are too pink or too orange; the key is a subtle yellow-ochre base with warm and cool shifts. Test your mixes on the palette first and compare them directly to the reference.
• Placing the eyes too large or too bright; they are quite dark and small in this painting. Understate them rather than dramatize them—the downward gaze is contemplative, not expressive.
• Hardening the edge between the dark hair and warm face; this should be a soft, integrated transition despite the value contrast. The hair and face are unified as a form.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility