plate no. 2410

Lorenzo Van Der Hamen

oilBaroqueportraitportraitmanclothingfacehaircollar

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in accurately rendering skin tones and understanding subtle value shifts to create form. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and working with a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and collar.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of muted gray-brown.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, clothing, and collar with their respective base colors.
step 04
Start building up the skin tones by layering different shades of pink, yellow, and brown, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 05
Define the features of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful attention to detail.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, such as the folds and creases, using darker shades of black and gray.
step 07
Refine the edges and contours of the figure to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red light · raw sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Dark clothing is primarily black and umber, lightened with white for highlights. The background is a muted mix of umber, black, and white.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·blending

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, leading to muddy tones.
→Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
→Using too much contrast, resulting in an unnatural appearance.
→Ignoring the subtle value shifts that create form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (titanium white, ivory black, burnt umber, yellow ochre, cadmium red light)
·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags