plate no. 4767

Jonge Man Met Bontmuts

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfigurefur hatclothingmale

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand chiaroscuro and how to create form with subtle value changes. It will also help them practice portrait painting and rendering textures like fur.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head and hat.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber, paying attention to the light source.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the skin tones, the fur hat, and the dark clothing.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones by layering lighter values on the areas that are illuminated.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushes and subtle color variations.
step 06
Develop the texture of the fur hat by using short, broken brushstrokes and varying the values.
step 07
Refine the details of the clothing and background, paying attention to the edges and transitions between forms.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

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

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

Mix skin tones by combining white, sienna, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and black for the dark areas, and add white to create lighter shades. The fur hat is primarily sienna and umber with touches of yellow ochre.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·portraiture
·rendering fur texture

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle value changes.
→Making the fur hat too uniform and lacking texture.
→Ignoring the importance of the background and its effect on the overall composition.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.