plate no. 6916

General Raffaele Cadorna

oil, canvas, crayonRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanhatbeardmilitary

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones. It also provides practice in capturing the texture of different materials like fabric and hair.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the outline of the head, hat, and shoulders using charcoal or pencil.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, hat, beard, and background.
step 03
Start layering the skin tones, focusing on the subtle variations in color and value.
step 04
Define the features of the face, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 05
Work on the hat, capturing its shape and texture, including the decorative trim.
step 06
Add details to the beard, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 07
Refine the background, blending the edges of the figure to create a sense of depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

secondary · ivory black · viridian green · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow, red, and umber. Use small amounts of black and green to create shadows and depth. For the hat, mix black with a touch of umber to soften the color.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·layering
·scumbling
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions of the face.
→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
→Getting the hat shape wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, ivory black, yellow ochre)
·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·Flat brush (size 8)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Soft cloth