plate no. 6912

Friar Alonso de Sant Tomàs

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfigurerobehandclerical collar

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing subtle skin tones and rendering fabric folds. It also provides practice in creating depth and dimension with a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a mid-tone brown.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hand.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the background, the face, the robe, and the collar.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, using thin layers of paint and subtle blending to create a realistic effect.
step 05
Develop the folds and shadows in the robe, paying attention to the way light interacts with the fabric.
step 06
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushes and precise strokes.
step 07
Refine the hand and the object it holds, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, raw umber, and small amounts of burnt sienna and cadmium red light. The robe is primarily ivory black, lightened with raw umber for highlights and darkened with ivory black for shadows.

techniques