plate no. 1717

John Singleton Copley

oilRococoportraitportraitfigureclothinghairhistoricalmale

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in blending skin tones, capturing likeness, and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating subtle value gradations to model form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the oval composition and the figure's basic proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with broad strokes of muted purples and browns.
step 03
Establish the main shapes of the face, hair, and clothing with thin washes of color.
step 04
Begin building up the skin tones with layers of blended colors, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and textures of the fabric.
step 07
Add highlights to the hair and clothing to create a sense of light and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve a realistic and harmonious portrait.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of burnt umber. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create muted purples and browns for the background.

techniques