plate no. 2239
John Westlake
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the painting of a portrait titled 'John Westlake' by Marianne Stokes, executed in tempera. As a portrait, the work aims to capture the inner essence and character of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness, adhering to the tradition that great portraiture expresses moral quality and character (Source 2). The medium specified is tempera, which historically refers to pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder, most commonly egg yolk for 'egg tempera' (Source 1). While the specific visual details of John Westlake’s attire or background are not described in the provided sources, the general practice of portrait painting suggests a focus on the face, particularly the eyes and eyebrows, to convey subtle emotions such as concentration or wistfulness, often with a neutral mouth (Source 2). The artist likely employed color contrast principles to harmonize the complexion with the background and drapery, ensuring the flesh tones remain distinct and vibrant (Source 7).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Egg yolk | Binder for the tempera paint | — |
| Pigments (dry powder) | Color source, mixed with egg yolk | Pre-mixed egg tempera tubes or traditional dry pigments |
| Gessoed panel | Rigid, smooth surface required for tempera | Pre-primed wood panel or MDF board |
| Charcoal | Underdrawing and initial shading | Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal |
| Raw Umber | Initial wash/underpainting tone | Raw Umber pigment |
| White pigment (Lead White or Titanium White) | Lightening tones and highlights | Titanium White (non-toxic alternative) |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial washes if using oil-based underpainting techniques referenced in general painting guides, though tempera is water-based; likely used here for the initial 'set the palette' instruction in Source 5 which may imply an oil study or mixed media approach common in the period | Odorless mineral spirits |
preparation
surface prep
Tempera requires a rigid, non-flexible support. The surface should be prepared with gesso to create a smooth, absorbent ground. While the sources do not specify Stokes' exact gesso recipe, traditional egg tempera requires a white, chalky ground to allow the translucent layers of paint to build up luminosity (Source 1).
underdrawing
Begin with a charcoal underdrawing. Draw the figure slightly smaller than life size. Use a dry brush to model the forms in charcoal before applying paint. Place the drawing alongside the sitter (or reference) at eye level to compare proportions accurately, using a hand-mirror to check for distortions (Source 5). Make all corrections in the charcoal stage, as charcoal offers little resistance to erasure (Source 5).
underpainting
Set the palette with raw umber and a softer white, using turpentine if following the general painting instructions provided for initial studies (Source 5). Apply a thin wash to establish the basic tonal values. This step helps in identifying the predominating color in the complexion early on (Source 7).
color palette
Flesh Tones
Red, yellow, white, and black/earth tones adjusted for hue
The subject's face and hands. Avoid assuming only red and white; consider brown, bronzed, or copper complexions if appropriate to the subject's origin, as beauty in complexion varies by region (Source 7).
Background/Drapery
Complementary colors to the flesh tones, potentially broken with grey
Harmonizing the composition. Choose colors that contrast with the complexion to give it value and distinctness (Source 7).
Highlights
White mixed with adjacent colors to prevent hue shift
Eyes, brow ridges, and nose. When lightening colors with white, add a small amount of an adjacent color to correct hue shifts toward blue (Source 8).
composition
The portrait likely focuses on the head and shoulders or half-length, as these are common formats for capturing character (Source 2). The subject's head may be in a three-quarter view, which is a standard pose for revealing character without the rigidity of a full profile or the flatness of a full face (Source 2). The expression should be serious or subtly emotive, relying on the eyes and eyebrows to convey meaning, as the mouth is likely neutral (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Draw the portrait in charcoal, slightly smaller than life size. Use a hand-mirror to check proportions by placing the drawing at eye level with the subject.
Tip — Correct all errors in charcoal before painting; correcting in paint is fatal to lucidity (Source 5).
Charcoal underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin wash of raw umber and white to establish the basic light and shadow structure.
Tip — This helps in planning the color contrasts for the flesh tones.
Imprimatura/Wash
first pass
step 03
Mix pigments with egg yolk. Apply thin, translucent layers of paint. Focus on the eyes and eyebrows first, as they convey the most reliable information about the subject's character (Source 2).
Tip — Tempera is fast-drying; work in small areas to avoid hard edges between wet sections (Source 1).
Egg Tempera Layering
refining
step 04
Build up the flesh tones. Identify the predominating color in the complexion and faithfully reproduce it. Use complementary colors or greyed tones in the background to enhance the contrast and value of the skin (Source 7).
Tip — Avoid crudity by using light tones of complementary colors if intensity is too high (Source 7).
Color Contrast
step 05
Refine the eyes and eyebrows to register subtle emotions like concentration or wistfulness. Ensure the mouth remains relatively neutral unless a specific expression is required (Source 2).
Tip — The eyes are the place to look for the most complete information about the subject (Source 2).
Facial Expression
finishing
step 06
Review the overall harmony. Ensure that the colors of the dress and background have been well-chosen to support the complexion, avoiding a poor effect from mismatched tones (Source 7).
Tip — Check for simultaneous contrast effects where juxtaposed colors may appear to shift in tone (Source 6).
Harmony of Contrast
critical techniques
Egg Tempera Application
Using egg yolk as a binder for pigments. The paint is fast-drying and permanent, requiring thin, layered applications (Source 1).
Color Contrast and Harmony
Using complementary colors or greyed tones in the background and drapery to enhance the value and distinctness of the flesh tones. This prevents the portrait from having a poor effect (Source 7).
Character Portrayal
Focusing on the eyes and eyebrows to convey inner essence and moral quality, rather than temporary or fleeting expressions. The mouth is kept neutral to allow the eyes to dominate the expression (Source 2).
common pitfalls
- →Putting down paint with obvious errors in construction or drawing; corrections should be made in the charcoal stage (Source 5).
- →Assuming female complexions must only consist of red and white; this ignores the beauty of brown, bronzed, or copper complexions (Source 7).
- →Darkening colors by adding black, which can cause hue shifts toward green or blue; use complementary colors to neutralize and darken instead (Source 8).
- →Lightening colors by adding white without correcting for hue shifts toward blue; add a small amount of an adjacent color to correct this (Source 8).
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 visual details of John Westlake's clothing, jewelry, or background are not described in the sources.
- ·Marianne Stokes' specific tempera technique (e.g., whether she used oil glazes over tempera, a common practice) is not detailed in the provided passages.
- ·The exact date of the painting is not available, which limits precise period-specific material analysis.
- ·The specific pose (full-length, half-length, etc.) is not confirmed by the sources.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Instructions for charcoal underdrawing, using a mirror for proportion, and initial wash with raw umber
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 328-331 — applied to Principles of color harmony, using complementary colors for background, and avoiding crude intensity
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Tempera↗
- Tempera — part 1 — applied to Definition of egg tempera and its properties (fast-drying, egg yolk binder)
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Guidance on capturing character through eyes and eyebrows, and the neutrality of the mouth
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Guidance on mixing colors, avoiding hue shifts when adding black or white
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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