plate no. 3705

LOUIS II DE BOURBON, DUC D'ENGHIEN

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfigurearmorhairlandscapeframe

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones, as well as practice with depicting textures like hair and fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, focusing on the oval frame and the figure's placement within it.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values, starting with the background and then the figure's clothing and hair.
step 03
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the proportions and subtle variations in skin tone.
step 04
Add details to the armor and clothing, using small brushstrokes to create texture and highlights.
step 05
Develop the hair, using a combination of light and dark tones to create volume and movement.
step 06
Refine the background landscape, keeping it soft and muted to avoid distracting from the figure.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall depth and dimension.
step 08
Glaze to unify the colors and add a sense of depth.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black · gold

Mix various shades of skin tone using yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, and titanium white. Create a warm, golden hue for the armor by mixing yellow ochre with a touch of burnt umber and cadmium red.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·chiaroscuro
·blending
·rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of harmony.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and dimension.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, ivory black)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife