plate no. 7084
Portrait D'Étienne Mélingue
Adolphe Yvon, 1856
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering subtle tonal variations in skin. It will also improve blending techniques to create smooth transitions between light and shadow.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the face and clothing.
- step 02
Establish the dark background using a thin wash of dark brown or black.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face with mid-tones.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Develop the details of the hair, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Paint the clothing, focusing on the highlights and shadows to create form.
- step 07
Add final highlights and details to the face and clothing.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the colors and create depth.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light
Mix skin tones by combining white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use raw umber and black for shadows and dark areas.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
- →Making the shadows too harsh or the highlights too bright.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·assorted round and flat brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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