plate no. 3429

Portraif of a Venerable-Looking Old Man

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghandhair

what to study here

It shows how a dark ground, one white accent, and soft edges on the face can carry a convincing portrait of an old man.

Study how much this portrait gets from a very small set of value zones. The vision read describes a nearly black background, a warm mid-tone face, a white collar as the lightest accent, and dark brown clothing. Squint and the picture breaks into those masses. The face is the focal point because it is the warm area set against the dark void, and the collar is the sharpest accent beside it. Look at the edges. The collar boundary is crisp against the robe, while the face melts into shadow at the temple and jaw. Modeling in the face and hand comes from value shifts and not outlines. The cheeks and nose carry warmer reds, and the temples and jaw go cooler and darker. The hair shows directional strokes where light catches the silver. Copy the restraint: the contrast in the face is subtle, and adding more would make the sitter look theatrical. Keep the background close to black so the figure stays forward.

key decision

Maes set a warm, softly modeled face against a nearly black background and placed the crisp white collar beside it as the strongest contrast. Edges are sharp at the collar and soft at the temple and jaw.

recreation guide

This artwork, a portrait from 1666, falls within Nicolaes Maes’s mature period, characterized by a shift from the austere, dark-background style of his earlier works to a more Flemish-influenced approach introduced by van Dyck (Source 3). During this decade, Maes began employing staging and accessories typical of Flemish portraiture, moving away from the strict realism of his Rembrandt-trained youth toward a style that emphasized gesture, pose, and elegant presentation (Source 3). As a leading portraitist in Amsterdam and Dordrecht, Maes produced hundreds of portraits in standardized formats, often depicting half-length or three-quarter-length figures against dark or atmospheric backgrounds (Source 3). The painting likely reflects the 'lighter spirit' and refined brushwork that began to emerge in his work during the 1660s, balancing the structural rigor of his Dutch training with the elegance of Flemish aesthetics (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Red, Yellow earth tones)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Artist-grade oil paints; Ultramarine blue, Ivory Black, Titanium White, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre
Linseed oil	Medium for mixing paint and glazing	Refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning	Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) or Gamsol
Canvas or panel	Support surface	Linen canvas primed with gesso or oil ground
Varnish (optional for final glazing)	To mix with oil for final transparent layers, as practiced by old masters	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a canvas or panel with a traditional oil ground. While specific preparation for this exact piece is not detailed, Maes worked on canvas and panel during this period (Source 5). The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the fine detail characteristic of portraiture but textured enough to hold the brushstrokes of his mature style. A warm-toned ground (such as raw umber) is historically consistent with Dutch Golden Age practice to aid in tonal harmony, though a white ground is also possible for lighter effects.

underdrawing

Sketch the composition lightly using charcoal or thinned paint. Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with this step to establish proportions and likeness (Source 6). Given Maes’s focus on recognizable likeness and standardized formats (Source 3, Source 4), precise anatomical proportions are critical. Do not press too hard to avoid embedding carbon into the ground, which can cause discoloration over time.

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This technique, described by Sir Joshua Reynolds and consistent with old master practices, involves establishing the tonal values before applying color (Source 1). Mentally extract red and yellow tones, focusing on the structural light and shadow. This layer should be allowed to dry completely before proceeding to glazing (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine pigment

Underpainting shadows and cool tones, as noted in Reynolds' method cited in Source 1

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Deep shadows and defining contours in the grisaille stage (Source 1)

White

Lead white (historically) or Titanium/Zinc white

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille (Source 1)

Red and Yellow Earth Tones

Red ochre, yellow ochre, vermilion

Glazing and scumbling to introduce flesh tones and warmth, applied over the dry grisaille (Source 1)

composition

Maes’s mature portraits from the 1660s often feature half-length or three-quarter-length figures, sometimes leaning against props like columns or rocks, set against dark backgrounds or terrace settings (Source 3). The composition likely emphasizes the sitter’s gesture and pose, reflecting the influence of van Dyck and Flemish portraiture (Source 3). The sitter is presented in an austere yet elegant manner, consistent with the transition in Maes’s style during this decade (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the figure’s proportions and pose on the prepared surface using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is accurate, as Maes was known for recognizable portraits (Source 4).
Traditional underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white to create a grisaille. Paint the full tonal range of the portrait, excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Focus on the structural light and shadow. Imagine what the image would look like if red and yellow were absent (Source 1).
Grisaille underpainting

first pass

step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially.
Tip — Treat the glazing like tinting an engraving with watercolors, allowing the underlying monochrome to show through (Source 1).
Glazing

drying

step 03
Allow the grisaille layer to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Do not proceed to glazing until the layer is hard to the touch to prevent muddying (Source 6).
Oxidation drying

refining

step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust highlights and cool tones, particularly over darker areas to create a 'grey bloom' or atmospheric effect.
Tip — Be cautious with scumbling over dark grounds as it can introduce coldness; use it to refine edges and textures (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 06
Apply final glazes using a mixture of varnish and oil for deeper saturation and luminosity, if desired.
Tip — This technique was used by old masters to achieve rich color depth (Source 1).
Varnish glazing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Maes and other old masters used transparent glazes over a dry monochrome underpainting to build color depth and luminosity. Scumbling was used for semi-opaque adjustments, particularly to create atmospheric effects or cool highlights (Source 1).

Fat over Lean

Each subsequent layer of paint should contain more oil than the previous one to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking. The initial grisaille is leaner, while glazes are richer in oil (Source 6).

Simultaneous Contrast Awareness

Be mindful of how adjacent colors affect each other. The lightest tones may appear lowered and darkest heightened due to contrast, requiring careful adjustment of flesh tones against the background (Source 2, Source 8).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is fully dry, which can lead to muddied colors and cracking (Source 1, Source 6).
→Ignoring the 'fat over lean' rule, causing the paint film to become unstable and peel (Source 6).
→Overworking the scumbling layer, which can introduce unwanted coldness or obscure the underlying structure (Source 1).
→Failing to account for simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception in flesh tones against the background (Source 8).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific details of the sitter’s clothing, accessories, or background elements are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred from Maes’s general style or left to the artist’s discretion based on period conventions.
·The exact pigment recipes used by Maes in 1666 are not provided, so modern equivalents are suggested.
·The specific dimensions and format (oval vs. rectangular) of this particular portrait are not specified, though Maes used standardized formats (Source 3).

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color theory and tonal adjustment

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes↗
- Portrait painting — applied to Stylistic context, composition, and period conventions
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Material handling, drying times, and fat-over-lean rule

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A three-quarter portrait of an elderly gentleman faces slightly left against a nearly black background. The light source comes from the front-left, illuminating his face with warm, golden tones while his silvery hair catches bright sidelight. The stark white collar—a crisp, geometric shape—acts as a visual anchor and creates the strongest contrast in the painting. His dark brown clothing recedes into shadow, and his right hand (viewer's left) emerges at the lower center with delicate modeling. The eye travels first to the face, held there by the sharp value contrast between the figure and void background.

value structure

The painting operates on high-contrast architecture: a nearly black void background, a warm mid-tone face with subtle gradations showing age and form, a brilliant white collar as the lightest accent, and dark brown clothing occupying much of the composition. Squint and you see three distinct zones—the background dissolves into near-uniformity, the face glows as a warm mass, and the collar pops as a bright geometric shape. The face itself contains surprising complexity despite appearing simple: the cheeks and nose carry warm reds while the temples and jaw recede into cooler, darker tones.

observed palette and mixes

#0f0f0d
ivory black + raw umber (touch)
background—nearly pure black
#141410
ivory black + burnt umber
deepest hair shadows and darkest folds
#211c13
raw umber + ivory black
brown fabric of the robe, shadow areas
#3c2d1b
raw umber + burnt sienna
mid-tone fabric and clothing
#9b947e
yellow ochre + titanium white + touch cadmium red light
mid-tone skin and face planes
#ffffff
titanium white (possibly with trace of yellow ochre)
the brilliant white collar

edges and brushwork

Edges vary deliberately: the collar boundary is crisp and clean, creating a clear geometric line against the dark robe. The face transitions softly into surrounding shadow at the temple and jaw—edges melt rather than declare. Hair is rendered with visible directional brushstrokes suggesting individual wispy strands, particularly where light catches silver hair. The hand shows careful structural brushwork with subtle transitions between lit and shadowed planes; modeling is achieved through value shift rather than outlines.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark foundation and composition
Tone your entire canvas with a thin, dark wash (ivory black + raw umber) until it reads nearly black. Block in the head's proportion and placement, the collar as a white geometric shape, and the general torso mass. Work loosely—this is your roadmap, not your finish.
02
Lay in the white collar and basic clothing masses
Paint the white collar with titanium white, keeping edges crisp where it meets the robe. Block in the dark brown robe using raw umber + ivory black mixtures. Notice how the robe folds catch slightly warmer browns (add a touch of yellow ochre). Leave the face untouched white for now—it will help you judge values as you build.
03
Establish skin undertone and basic facial structure
Mix a warm mid-tone flesh using yellow ochre + titanium white + a touch of cadmium red light. Block this across the face, keeping it lighter on the frontal planes (forehead, nose tip, cheekbones) and letting it darken as it recedes toward the temples and jaw. Observe that his cheeks and the tip of his nose carry warmer, redder tones than his temples.
04
Render the hair and define head form
Paint the silvery hair using titanium white + ultramarine blue + touch of raw umber, keeping it cool and gray rather than brownish. In shadow areas (particularly around the far side of the head), use darker values with more ultramarine. Notice how individual strands catch light—use directional brushwork to suggest wispy texture. This modeling also defines the skull structure beneath the skin.
05
Model facial planes with value and subtle warm-cool shifts
Deepen the temples and jaw with cooler, darker mixtures (yellow ochre + ultramarine blue + white). Bring warmer reds forward on the cheeks and nose. Study the actual shadows under the brow, beside the nose, and along the jaw line—these are subtle but essential to capturing age. Soften all transitions; no hard edges on the face except where the sharp background boundary demands it.
06
Paint the hand and refine the collar's subtle modeling
The right hand (viewer's left) is rendered in similar warm flesh tones but with careful structural anatomy. Notice the palm faces the viewer and shows rounded form. Add thin ultramarine shadows to the collar's recessed areas to suggest subtle folds and prevent it from reading as a flat white cutout—the collar must sit behind the face convincingly.
07
Refine eyes and facial features
Paint the eyes with ivory black for the pupil, keeping them small and sharp; surround with pale skin tone. The eyes should feel alert but weary—aligned with the subtle droop in his lower lids. Add a thin line of shadow beneath the lower lid. Shape the nose with warm mid-tone on the bridge and cooler shadow on one side. Keep the mouth understated—just a gentle suggestion of form.
08
Final glazing and edge control
Step back and assess. Add a final warm glaze (very dilute yellow ochre + white in linseed oil) over the face to unify skin tones and deepen the sense of warm light. Soften any hard edges where the face meets dark background. Ensure the background remains nearly black and recedes. Refine the hair texture with a few more directional strokes in the highlights where light strikes most brightly.

where studies of this painting go wrong

The white collar is tempting to paint flat and bright—resist. It needs subtle warm shadows in the folds to sit convincingly behind the figure; pure white alone reads as cardboard.
Skin tones easily become muddy if you overmix or use too much ivory black for shadows; instead, push warmth forward and coolness backward using complementary color shifts.
The face modeling is understated and must stay that way—students often add contrast where it doesn't exist, making the portrait look theatrical rather than intimate.
The background must remain nearly black; many students let it creep toward brown, which softens the dramatic contrast that makes this portrait work.
The hair's silvery quality depends on using blue undertones in the gray rather than just mixing black and white; neglecting this makes him look younger and destroys the character.

measured difficulty