plate no. 4064

Portrait of A. I. Tropinina

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfigureclothinghandsknittingdark background

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding chiaroscuro and creating depth through value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare the canvas with a neutral ground.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, paying attention to the placement of the head, hands, and knitting.
step 03
Establish the darkest values of the background and clothing with thin washes of dark brown or black.
step 04
Begin building up the mid-tones and highlights on the face, using a limited palette of earth tones and white.
step 05
Carefully blend the transitions between light and shadow to create a sense of volume and form.
step 06
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushes and subtle color variations.
step 07
Refine the details of the hands and knitting, paying attention to the texture and form.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth and realism.

color palette

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

secondary · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of burnt sienna, raw umber, and yellow ochre. Use ivory black and raw umber for the dark background and clothing, adding small amounts of burnt sienna for warmth.

techniques

·chiaroscuro
·glazing
·blending
·portraiture
·rendering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy or unnatural appearance.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure, leading to a flat or dimensionless painting.
→Neglecting the details of the hands and knitting, which can detract from the overall realism.
→Inaccurate proportions in the initial sketch.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ivory black, raw umber, burnt sienna, titanium white, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat, sizes 0-6)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags