plate no. 0367

Juan Francisco De La Cerda, Viii Duque De Medinaceli

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairoval frame

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and modeling form with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in rendering dark, complex textures and achieving a sense of depth.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic oval frame and the figure's pose, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of blues and browns.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the figure: face, hair, clothing.
step 04
Begin modeling the face with light and shadow, focusing on accurate skin tones.
step 05
Develop the dark clothing with layers of black and brown, adding subtle highlights.
step 06
Refine the hair, creating texture and volume with varied brushstrokes.
step 07
Add details like the collar, jewelry, and any visible background elements.
step 08
Glaze and adjust values to create a cohesive and realistic image.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, and umber, adjusting ratios for highlights and shadows. Dark clothing is primarily black and umber, lightened with small amounts of white for highlights. The background uses muted blues and browns.

techniques