plate no. 5690

Portrait Ing. K

Matej Sternen, 1940

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfiguremansuitclothingbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating depth through subtle value changes. It also offers practice in capturing likeness and conveying a sense of personality.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure on the canvas.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, suit, and tie.
step 03
Start refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle value changes and highlights.
step 04
Develop the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Work on the suit, using darker values to create shadows and lighter values for highlights.
step 06
Add details to the background, keeping it soft and slightly out of focus.
step 07
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · burnt sienna

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt sienna, raw umber, titanium white, and small amounts of alizarin crimson and yellow ochre. Use ultramarine blue and raw umber for the suit, lightening with white for highlights.

techniques