plate no. 8172
John Dickinson
Ralph Hedley, 1898
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.
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