plate no. 5127

Mitt Romney

oil, canvasContemporary Realismportraitportraitfiguresuitflagpaintingdesk

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating realistic details and capturing a likeness.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 30 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the overall composition and proportions.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and colors, focusing on the background and large areas of the figure.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, paying close attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Develop the details of the suit, including folds and textures.
step 05
Paint the American flag, ensuring accurate star and stripe placement.
step 06
Add the smaller details like the desk, lamp, and framed picture.
step 07
Refine the portrait, adjusting values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black · purple · gold

Skin tones are achieved by mixing burnt umber, cadmium red, yellow ochre, and titanium white. The suit color is a mix of ultramarine blue and burnt umber, lightened with white. The gold tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre and burnt umber.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·layering
·blending
·rendering fabric

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions in the initial sketch.
→Overmixing skin tones, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring subtle value changes in the fabric.
→Inaccurate rendering of the American flag's details.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ivory black)
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags