plate no. 4571

Emilian Stanev

Georgi Kovachev, 1978

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanglassesclothingbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and expressive brushwork. It also provides practice in creating depth and texture with visible brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, clothing, and background.
step 03
Start building up the skin tones with layers of color, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Define the facial features, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful brushstrokes.
step 05
Add details to the clothing, such as the collar and tie, using darker values.
step 06
Create the background with vertical brushstrokes, blending colors to create a sense of depth.
step 07
Refine the details and add highlights to the hair and glasses.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · viridian green

Mix skin tones using white, umber, ochre, and a touch of red. Darken areas with blue and umber. The background is a mix of greens, yellows, blues, and reds applied with short, vertical strokes.

techniques