plate no. 8172

John Dickinson

oilRealismportraitportraitfiguremanchairbeardclothing

what to study here

It shows how three value groups, varied edges and a warm limited palette can hold a dark-suited, white-bearded figure together.

The useful lesson here is how a nearly black suit, a warm brown ground and a bright beard are organized into three value groups. The suit is the largest dark mass, the face and beard are the lightest lights, and the background holds the middle. Squint and the face and beard merge into one bright shape against the figure. Study the hands: they sit at mid-light, bridging the bright head and the dark suit so the figure does not split apart. Study the edges too. The face is soft and blended, the suit edge is sharper where cloth meets background, and the head-to-background edge is the hardest in the picture. The beard is built from directional strokes that follow hair growth, with warm grays in the shadow side rather than flat white. Brushwork stays quiet; strokes serve form and light. The palette is narrow and warm (umber, burnt sienna, ochre, black, white), so the student can see how much form comes from value and edge control alone.

key decision

Hedley kept the portrait to three clear value groups: near-black suit, bright face and beard, and a mid-toned brown background. He set the hands at mid-light so they connect the head to the suit.

recreation guide

Ralph Hedley’s 1898 oil portrait of John Dickinson is a work of Realism, a style in which Hedley was well-established, particularly known for depicting scenes of everyday life in the North East of England (Source 4). As a realist portrait, the work aims to capture not just a literal likeness but the 'inner essence' or character of the subject, avoiding temporary or fleeting expressions in favor of moral quality and character representation (Source 3). The painting likely adheres to the conventions of late 19th-century portraiture, where the subject’s expression is often serious or neutral, with emotional nuance conveyed primarily through the eyes and eyebrows rather than the mouth (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 6-8 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (artist grade)	Primary medium for the painting	—
Linseed oil	Medium to mix with paint for consistency and drying time	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent to thin paint for underdrawing and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits (OMS)
Charcoal or thinned paint	For initial sketching of the subject onto the canvas	Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent
Canvas	Support surface	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Paintbrushes	Traditional tool for transferring paint to the surface	Hog bristle and sable brushes
Palette knives and rags	Alternative application methods and for scraping/removing wet paint	—

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming details for this exact work are not in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques of the period involved preparing a stable surface to ensure the paint film remains strong and does not crack or peel (Source 1). Hedley, being a trained craftsman who studied at the Government School and under William Bell Scott, would have adhered to standard professional preparation methods of the late 19th century (Source 4).

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). Given Hedley’s background in drawing and design (Source 4), a precise underdrawing is likely to establish the likeness, which is crucial for portrait painting to ensure the subject is recognizable (Source 2).

underpainting

A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is a traditional method that may be applicable here. This involves painting in black, white, and perhaps ultramarine to establish values before adding color (Source 6). This technique allows the artist to focus on form and light without the distraction of color, which is consistent with the realist goal of capturing the 'inner significance' rather than just surface appearance (Source 3).

color palette

Neutral tones (Greys/Browns)

Black, white, ultramarine, earth tones

Establishing the monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to define form and value

Flesh tones

Red and yellow tones glazed over the underpainting

Adding color to the face and hands, likely using glazing techniques to achieve translucency

Clothing colors

Dependent on the sitter's attire, likely mixed with linseed oil

General application, ensuring 'fat over lean' consistency

composition

The portrait likely depicts the subject in a 'head and shoulders' (bust) or 'half-length' format, which are common conventions for portrait painting (Source 3). The head may be turned in a 'three-quarter view' to provide a more dynamic and character-revealing perspective than a strict profile or full face (Source 3). The expression is likely serious or neutral, with the eyes and eyebrows carrying the primary emotional weight, consistent with the realist tradition of capturing character rather than fleeting emotion (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to establish the likeness and proportions.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is accurate, as portrait painting aims to be a recognizable record of the subject's appearance (Source 2).
Traditional underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome layer (grisaille) using black, white, and ultramarine to establish the values and forms of the face and clothing.
Tip — Focus on the 'inner significance' and form rather than color at this stage (Source 3, Source 6).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the underpainting is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color, particularly red and yellow tones, over the grisaille.
Tip — Glazing adds translucency, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This mimics the old masters' methods (Source 6).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Build up subsequent layers of paint, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the one below ('fat over lean').
Tip — This prevents cracking and peeling. Use brushes, palette knives, or rags to adjust texture and form (Source 1).
Fat over Lean

finishing

step 05
Refine the eyes and eyebrows to convey the subject's character and moral quality, as these areas register subtle emotions (Source 3).
Tip — Avoid exaggerated expressions; aim for a serious or neutral demeanor with nuanced eye expression (Source 3).
Detailing

varnishing

step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely (up to two weeks) before applying a varnish if desired.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation. Ensure proper drying time to avoid damaging the paint film (Source 1).
Drying and Varnishing

critical techniques

Fat over Lean

Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 1).

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build up depth and translucency, a method used by old masters (Source 6).

Character Portraiture

Focusing on the 'inner essence' and moral quality of the subject, particularly through the eyes and eyebrows, rather than just physical likeness (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Applying lean layers over fat layers, which will cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
→Focusing too much on literal likeness without capturing the character or 'inner significance' of the subject (Source 3).
→Attempting to deceive the eye into thinking it is looking at real nature, rather than expressing feeling through painted symbols (Source 8).
→Over-modeling or being too timid with outlines, which can lead to a smallness in the work (Source 5).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific details of John Dickinson's clothing, jewelry, or background are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred from the original artwork or left generic.
·Hedley's specific palette preferences for this particular portrait are not detailed, so general realist practices are assumed.
·The exact dimensions and canvas type of the original work are not provided.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding smallness and over-modeling (Source 5)
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille, glazing, and scumbling techniques (Source 6)
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium and avoiding mere deception (Source 8)

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to Underdrawing, fat over lean rule, drying times, and tools (Source 1, Source 7)
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Goals of portrait painting and likeness (Source 2)
- part 2 — applied to Character representation, expression, and composition views (Source 3)
Wikipedia bio — Ralph Hedley↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist's background and realist style (Source 4)

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A distinguished elderly man sits three-quarter length in a carved wooden chair, facing slightly left. Strong raking light from the upper left illuminates his face and hands, creating luminous modeling on his skin and a brilliant white beard that becomes the focal point. The warm brown background recedes gently, making the figure advance, with the chair providing dark vertical anchors on either side. The eye enters at the face, travels down the dark suit to the hands resting on his lap, then back to the alert, intelligent gaze.

value structure

The value structure is built on three distinct groups: the nearly black suit (#1e1810) forms the largest dark mass, the luminous face and beard read as the lightest lights, and the warm brown background (#5e4a30) holds the middle tones. When you squint, the face and beard flatten into one bright shape against the figure-ground contrast. The hands hold mid-light values that bridge between the bright face and dark suit, preventing visual separation.

observed palette and mixes

#1e1810
Ivory black with touch of raw umber
Suit jacket, vest, and darkest shadows in the face
#5e4a30
Raw umber with burnt sienna and titanium white
Background, establishing the warm neutral ground throughout
#90785d
Yellow ochre with burnt sienna and white
Mid-tones in the face, neck, and ear; warm accent in beard shadow
#332a1e
Raw umber with ivory black
Shadow side of face, hair, and chair wood
#4a3c29
Burnt sienna with raw umber and white
Wooden chair arms and back; clothing folds in mid-shadow
#27261f
Ivory black with burnt sienna
Deepest accents: pupil, nostril shadows, fabric folds in the suit

edges and brushwork

Edges vary strategically: the face is rendered with soft, blended transitions that preserve gentle modeling, while the suit maintains sharper edges where fabric meets background, grounding the figure's mass. The beard is built with deliberate directional strokes suggesting hair structure rather than smooth blending—observe how individual hairs catch light along the outer edge. Brushwork is invisible overall; every stroke serves form and light, never drawing attention to itself.

a working sequence

01
Establish the composition
Lightly block in the seated figure's proportions: locate the head (roughly one-seventh of total height), place the chair arms, and mark where the hands rest. Note that the figure leans slightly back in the chair, and the body mass extends down-right from the head. Pay attention to the negative shape between the head and chair back—this will anchor your drawing.
02
Underpainting and value masses
Apply a thin wash of warm brown (raw umber + burnt sienna) across the entire canvas as a unified ground. Block in the suit jacket as a near-black mass, keeping edges soft and approximate. Paint the background in the same warm tone, slightly modulated to be fractionally darker behind the head for contrast.
03
Head construction
Map the skull structure and facial planes with mid-tone ochre and burnt sienna. Establish the major planes: forehead, cheekbone, jaw line, and temples. The light falls from upper left, so the right side of the face (viewer's right) will hold shadow. Keep this stage loose—focus on proportions, not detail.
04
Face modeling
Build the face's three-dimensional form with careful value transitions. Mix a flesh tone using white, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna. Apply lighter values to the forehead, cheekbones, and nose tip where light strikes directly. Use the warm ochre (#90785d) for mid-shadow areas. The eye sockets, under the cheekbones, and below the nose receive the warmest mid-tones; resist making them cool gray.
05
Beard and hair structure
Begin indicating the beard with the warm mid-tone (#90785d) in the shadow areas, then overlay light strokes with nearly white (white + slight yellow ochre). The beard is not pure white—observe the warm gray shadows within it, especially on the right side facing away from the light. Work in the direction of hair growth; the beard flows down and slightly right from the chin.
06
Refine facial features
Define the eyes with accuracy: place pupils and irises, then add the catch-light (a small bright reflection from the light source). Model the nose with subtle shadow on the shadow side; keep it understated. Soften and refine the mouth region—it reads as part of the beard shadow, so edge control matters. The ear should show warm mid-tone with a defining shadow edge against the background.
07
Hands and cuffs
The hands are prominent and require careful anatomical drawing. Lay in the hand shapes with mid-light flesh tone, then model them with the same light direction as the face. The white shirt cuffs provide bright accents; paint them with nearly pure white mixed only with a touch of ochre to keep them warm, not sterile. Show the visible knuckles and the shape of resting hands without over-emphasizing wrinkles.
08
Suit jacket and clothing
Refine the suit's dark mass, showing subtle fabric weight and drape. Paint the creases and folds with a slightly warmer dark (burnt sienna + black) so they recede from the pure black jacket itself. The lapels, waistcoat opening, and collar require sharp edge definition. Add a small dark blue-black note (if visible in your study) to suggest the fabric's depth without becoming obviously blue.
09
Chair and final integration
Sharpen the wooden chair frame—the arms and back should show grain direction and the carved detail at the armrest. Keep the chair warm brown (#4a3c29) so it recedes slightly behind the figure's silhouette. Unify the whole by checking edge quality: soft around the face, crisper where the suit meets background, moderate on the hands and clothing. A final glaze of very dilute warm tone over the background can tie everything together if transitions feel choppy.

where studies of this painting go wrong

The beard looks chalky if painted pure white—it needs warm ochre mixed throughout the shadows to feel like hair catching directional light. Study the warm grays within it carefully.
The face can easily become too pink or too uniform in value; the forehead, cheekbones, jaw, and temple each receive light differently. Maintain distinct planes even under soft illumination.
The suit's folds are subtle and easy to overstate, making the fabric look stiff; paint the shadows as only slightly warmer than the black jacket itself, preserving the cloth's weight and calm.
The hands can feel disconnected from the body if their value relationship to the face isn't managed—they're mid-light, not bright. Compare their value to the cuffs constantly.
The edge between the head and background is the painting's hardest edge; if this edge becomes too soft or blends, the head loses definition. Pay close attention to this negative shape.

measured difficulty