plate no. 5639
Male portrait
Giacomo Favretto, 1885
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and using a limited palette to create depth and form. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and collar on the canvas.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the background and clothing with a thin wash of burnt umber.
- step 03
Block in the general skin tones using a mix of white, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt sienna.
- step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying close attention to the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Add highlights to the face and collar using lighter tones of white and yellow ochre.
- step 06
Develop the details of the hair and clothing with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 07
Refine the shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · raw sienna · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a small amount of burnt sienna. Use burnt umber and ivory black for shadows and to darken other colors.
techniques
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·alla prima
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
- →Using too much detail in the background, distracting from the subject.
- →Getting the values wrong, resulting in a lack of depth.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
Use a medium-sized canvas to allow for expressive brushwork. Consider toning the canvas with a thin wash of burnt umber before starting.
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