plate no. 7978

Portrait of a Man (Trivulzio portrait)

oil, panelEarly Renaissanceportraitportraitmanclothingheadwearface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle value transitions to create form. It also provides practice in rendering fabric folds and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of dark paint.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, clothing, and headwear.
step 04
Begin layering values on the face to create the form, paying close attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Develop the folds and shadows in the clothing, using darker values to create depth.
step 07
Add subtle highlights to the clothing and face to enhance the realism.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify colors and add depth.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre · cadmium red

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Darken areas with burnt sienna and umber. Mix black and umber for the dark background and headwear. Use red with umber for the clothing.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·value study
·blending
·layering

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of the face and head.
→Overly harsh or abrupt value transitions.
→Lack of attention to subtle details in the face.
→Flat or lifeless rendering of the clothing.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, burnt sienna, titanium white, ivory black, yellow ochre, cadmium red)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Soft Cloths