plate no. 9279

Henry Morgan, Montreal merchant

oilRealismportraitportraitmansuitfigurehistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including proportion, capturing likeness, and rendering skin tones. It also offers practice in creating subtle value changes and blending.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas using a thin wash of burnt umber.
step 03
Begin blocking in the skin tones, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 04
Paint the background using a limited palette of browns and blacks, blending smoothly.
step 05
Develop the details of the face, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Paint the suit and shirt, focusing on the folds and shadows.
step 07
Add the final highlights and details to the face and clothing.
step 08
Refine the edges and blend any harsh transitions.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Darker areas use more burnt umber and black. The background is primarily burnt umber and black, with subtle variations achieved by adding small amounts of other colors.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·value studies
·layering
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Using too much paint and losing detail.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, ivory black, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·rags