plate no. 0010
Portrait D'un Jeune Homme
Georges Rochegrosse, 1900
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practicing impressionistic brushwork for the background.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, focusing on subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Define the features of the face, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Paint the clothing, capturing the folds and textures of the fabric.
- step 06
Develop the background with loose, impressionistic brushstrokes.
- step 07
Add highlights and details to the figure and background.
- step 08
Refine the painting, making adjustments to the colors, values, and edges.
color palette
primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber
secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · viridian
Skin tones can be achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and blue. Greens are created by mixing blues and yellows, with umber added to dull the color.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·impressionistic brushwork
- ·color mixing
- ·layering
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Making the background too detailed, distracting from the figure.
- →Not paying attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·mineral spirits
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·painting easel
- ·rags
- ·mahl stick
Use a medium-sized canvas (e.g., 16x20 inches) for this project. Consider using a limited palette of colors to simplify the color mixing process.
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