plate no. 5413

Kirill Fyodorovich Kazachkovsky, Russian General

oilNeoclassicismportraitportraitfiguremilitaryuniformmanclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, rendering of facial features, and capturing the likeness of a subject. It also offers practice in painting details like fabric and metallic textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and overall pose.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, uniform, and hair.
step 03
Refine the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in color and value to create form.
step 04
Develop the details of the uniform, including the gold embellishments, buttons, and medals.
step 05
Work on the hair, using small brushstrokes to create texture and volume.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension throughout the painting.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth to capture the subject's likeness.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color balance.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ivory black · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · gold

Mix skin tones using yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, adding small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. Achieve the black of the uniform by mixing ivory black with a touch of burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

techniques