plate no. 9105
Goldwynne
William Logsdail, 1935
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, subtle color mixing for skin tones, and rendering soft light and shadow. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and conveying a sense of personality.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
5
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Begin blocking in the main areas of color, focusing on the skin tones, hair, and background.
- step 04
Refine the skin tones by layering and blending subtle color variations.
- step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying close attention to their shape and placement.
- step 06
Develop the hair by layering different shades of brown and gold.
- step 07
Paint the clothing, capturing the folds and highlights.
- step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.
color palette
primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium red light
secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna · alizarin crimson
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. Mix pinks for the clothing with white and alizarin crimson.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·color matching
common pitfalls
- →Incorrect proportions leading to a distorted likeness.
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy or lifeless appearance.
- →Failing to capture the subtle color variations in the face.
- →Ignoring the importance of accurate value relationships.
- →Getting the eye placement wrong.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·medium gloss
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface will facilitate blending.
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