plate no. 8815

Harvey Wilmot

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitchildclothinglacefigurehat

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations, as well as rendering fabric and lace details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral color.
step 03
Begin blocking in the main colors of the skin, clothing, and background.
step 04
Develop the skin tones with subtle layers of color, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, including the lace and buttons.
step 06
Add the hat and adjust the background to create depth.
step 07
Glaze to unify the colors and add luminosity.
step 08
Add final highlights and details.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red and blue. Achieve the pale blue of the jacket by mixing white with a small amount of ultramarine blue and burnt umber.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·rendering fabric

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
→Making the lace look flat and lifeless.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, ivory black, yellow ochre, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags