plate no. 1851

Portrait of a man

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitmanchairclothingfigurebeard

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting textures of fabric and creating depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the oval canvas shape and the figure's pose, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the major shapes and colors: background, clothing, chair, and skin tones.
step 03
Refine the skin tones, layering colors to create depth and dimension in the face.
step 04
Add details to the clothing, such as the folds and highlights in the jacket and shirt.
step 05
Work on the chair, capturing its texture and form.
step 06
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and value.
step 07
Add the final details, such as the highlights in the eyes and the texture of the beard.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the painting and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · ivory black · burnt umber · raw sienna · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white

Mix skin tones using a base of raw sienna, white, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and black for the dark areas of the clothing and background. Add small amounts of blue to darken the blacks.

techniques