plate no. 6495

Head of an old man

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitmanfaceheadold agehair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and using subtle color variations to model form. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and placement of the head and facial features.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber or similar earth tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color on the face, hair, and background.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Add details to the hair, using loose, expressive brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the background, ensuring it complements the subject.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to enhance the form and create depth.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color harmony.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · titanium white · raw sienna · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Mix various shades of skin tones using burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red light, and a touch of yellow ochre. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. Mix grey tones for the background by combining burnt umber and ultramarine blue with white.

techniques

·portrait sketching
·value blocking
·color mixing
·loose brushwork
·glazing

common pitfalls

→Getting proportions wrong
→Overworking the details
→Using colors that are too saturated
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (burnt umber, titanium white, raw sienna, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Palette knife
·Rags