plate no. 0157

Portrait of a Knight

canvas, oilBaroqueportraitportraitfiguremanruffclothinghand

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones, as well as understanding subtle value shifts to create form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the figure, focusing on proportions and placement on the canvas.
step 02
Block in the main shapes of the background, clothing, and skin tones with thin washes of color.
step 03
Begin building up the values in the face, paying attention to highlights and shadows to create form.
step 04
Work on the details of the ruff, using white and gray tones to create the folds and texture.
step 05
Refine the clothing, adding details such as buttons and folds.
step 06
Paint the hand, paying attention to the subtle variations in skin tone.
step 07
Add the final highlights and details to the face and clothing.
step 08
Glaze the painting with thin layers of color to unify the tones and create depth.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Mix skin tones using titanium white, cadmium red, yellow ochre, and a touch of raw umber. Create the dark tones of the clothing by mixing ivory black and raw umber.

techniques