Portrait of a Man with a Felt Hat

approach — 8 steps

color palette

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

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · payne's gray

Mix skin tones by blending burnt umber, raw sienna, and white, adding small amounts of red or yellow for warmth. Use ivory black and white to create the grays for the clothing and background.

techniques

• ·portraiture
• ·value study
• ·blending
• ·layering
• ·glazing

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
• →Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
• →Failing to capture the subtle nuances of light and shadow.
• →Ignoring the importance of the background in creating depth and atmosphere.