plate no. 3012

Hon. Abraham Lincoln, Our Next President

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingsuithistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, capturing likeness, and rendering subtle tonal variations. It also provides practice in depicting clothing and drapery.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, paying attention to proportions and placement of features.
step 02
Block in the main shapes of the face, hair, and clothing with light washes of color.
step 03
Begin building up the values in the face, focusing on the shadows and highlights to create form.
step 04
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying close attention to the likeness.
step 05
Work on the hair, using short, broken strokes to create texture and volume.
step 06
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and shadows to create depth.
step 07
Add final details and highlights to the face and clothing.
step 08
Adjust values and colors as needed to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light

Mix different values of skin tones by combining burnt sienna, raw umber, and titanium white. Use ivory black and raw umber for the suit, adding small amounts of blue for cooler shadows.

techniques