plate no. 9404

Portrait of a Boy

oil, panelBaroqueportraitportraitboyhatfigureclothinghair

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 creating depth and form using a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the boy's head, hat, and shoulders onto the canvas.
step 02
Establish the overall background tone with a thin wash of muted browns and grays.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, hat, and clothing, focusing on the general values.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones by layering and blending subtle variations of pinks, yellows, and browns.
step 05
Add details to the hair, using short, broken brushstrokes to suggest texture and movement.
step 06
Define the features of the face, paying close attention to the highlights and shadows that create form.
step 07
Paint the hat and clothing, using darker values to create contrast and depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt umber. Darken colors with burnt umber or ivory black. Use thin washes of color for the background.

techniques