plate no. 2489
Portrait of A. A. Venetsianova
Alexey Venetsianov, 1826
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering subtle skin tones. It also provides practice in painting fabric and understanding light and shadow on a simple form.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, hat, and shoulders.
- step 02
Establish the overall background tone with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hat, and clothing, focusing on the general values.
- step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Develop the form of the hat, adding details such as the ribbons and folds.
- step 06
Refine the clothing, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
- step 07
Blend and soften edges to create a smooth, realistic effect.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light
secondary · Prussian blue · yellow ochre
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, and umber. The hat color is a mix of red and umber. The clothing is a mix of blue, umber, and white.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness
- →Using colors that are too saturated
- →Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a smooth canvas for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to speed up the painting process.
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