plate no. 4461

Family of merchant in XVII century

oilRomanticismportraitfiguresportraitclothingfamilyhistoricalinterior

experienced study

Recreating this painting will develop skills in portraiture, including rendering realistic skin tones and capturing likenesses. Students will also practice painting detailed clothing and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition and placement of figures, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with broad strokes, establishing the overall color tone.
step 03
Begin layering in the main colors of the figures' clothing, working from dark to light.
step 04
Focus on rendering the skin tones, using subtle color variations to create form.
step 05
Add details to the clothing, such as patterns, textures, and embellishments.
step 06
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive and realistic look.

color palette

primary · ivory · red ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · purple · gold

Mix various shades of ivory with small amounts of red ochre and burnt umber for skin tones. Achieve the purples by mixing ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson. Use cadmium yellow to create the gold tones.

techniques