plate no. 9058

Portrait of a Man with a Goatee

oil, canvasBaroqueportraitportraitmangoateeruffdark backgroundfigure

recreation guide

This recreation guide focuses on Diego Velázquez’s early Baroque portrait, *Portrait of a Man with a Goatee* (1622). While specific visual details of this particular sitter’s clothing or background are not described in the provided sources, the artwork is grounded in Velázquez’s documented transition from Caravaggesque naturalism toward a more fluid, atmospheric style. Velázquez incorporated Caravaggio’s realism and chiaroscuro but moved beyond them by achieving a 'sensuous depiction' and 'atmospheric rendering of spatial depth' through a varied handling of brushstrokes—ranging from rough to filmy—that was more akin to Titian than to Caravaggio (Source 7). The portrait likely aims to reveal the 'inner essence' or 'character and moral quality' of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness, consistent with the goals of serious portraiture of the era (Source 5).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Earth tones, Reds, Yellows)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	High-quality tube oils; Ultramarine blue, Lead White (or Titanium/Zinc mix), Ivory Black, Ochres, Vermilion/Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre
Canvas	Support for the painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Mediums (Oil of Copavia, Varnish)	For glazing and scumbling layers	Stand oil, linseed oil, or damar varnish mixed with oil
Brushes (various sizes)	To apply varied brushstrokes (rough, smooth, filmy, thick)	Hog bristle for impasto, sable for glazing

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a canvas ground suitable for oil painting. While the specific ground color for this 1622 work is not detailed in the sources, Velázquez’s practice involved building up layers. The sources suggest a method where a monochrome underpainting is created first. Ensure the ground is dry before proceeding to the grisaille stage (Source 1).

underdrawing

The sources do not explicitly describe Velázquez’s underdrawing method for this specific work. However, given his 'fluid handling' and 'variety of brushstrokes,' it is likely he used a loose, direct approach rather than rigid linear sketching. If uncertain, use a light charcoal or thinned oil sketch to establish proportions, focusing on the 'inner significance' of the pose rather than rigid outlines (Source 5, Source 7).

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This step involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to establish the tonal structure of the light and shadow. This grisaille must be quite dry before proceeding (Source 1). This aligns with the 'old masters' practice of establishing form before color (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine

Underpainting shadows and glazing cool tones

White

Lead white or equivalent

Underpainting highlights and mixing tints

Black

Ivory black or similar

Underpainting deep shadows

Reds and Yellows

Vermilion, Ochre, etc.

Glazing and scumbling flesh tones and clothing, applied over the dry grisaille

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of *Portrait of a Man with a Goatee*. However, Velázquez characteristically used chiaroscuro to accentuate shapes and colors, though with more variation in light intensity than Caravaggio (Source 7). The portrait likely employs a 'three-quarter view' or similar standard portrait orientation to reveal character, with the eyes serving as the primary source of expression (Source 5). The background is likely neutral or dark to allow the figure to stand out, utilizing contrast principles where the lightest tone is lowered and the darkest heightened to create gradation (Source 2).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underpainting

step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or a modern equivalent like stand oil) to create a grisaille. Paint the full tonal range of the portrait, excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Focus on the 'true gradation of light' and chiaroscuro. Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding.
Grisaille underpainting

first pass

step 02
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to introduce red and yellow tones, particularly in the flesh and clothing.
Tip — Treat this like tinting an engraving with watercolors. Use glazing for transparent depth and scumbling for texture, especially over darker grounds to create a 'grey bloom' or coldness if needed.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 03
Refine the brushwork to vary texture. Use rough, smooth, filmy, or thick strokes to achieve a 'sensuous depiction' and 'atmospheric rendering of spatial depth,' moving beyond flat Caravaggesque sheen.
Tip — Observe how light modifies colors. If a color appears too red, consider the surrounding tones; a green background might make it appear pinker, while a red background might normalize it (Source 4).
Varied Brushwork

finishing

step 04
Adjust color contrasts. If a color is too pronounced, soften it by surrounding it with objects of the same color but more intense. If you need to increase brilliancy, surround the color with its complementary tone.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see colors inaccurately due to 'mixed contrast' after looking at a strong color for some time. Rest your eyes to ensure accurate color perception.
Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 05
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a varnish mixed with oil if further glazing is needed, or a final protective varnish.
Tip — Ensure all layers are dry to prevent cracking or mixing of unintended layers.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Velázquez, like other old masters, likely used transparent glazes and semi-opaque scumbles to build color and depth over a monochrome underpainting. This allows for rich, luminous colors without muddying the palette.

Varied Brushwork

Unlike Caravaggio’s unvaried sheen, Velázquez used a variety of brushstrokes (rough, smooth, filmy, thick) to create texture and atmospheric depth, akin to Titian.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that colors modify each other when juxtaposed. For example, red beside blue verges on orange. This principle helps in adjusting flesh tones and clothing colors to appear natural and vibrant.

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken colors can cause hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting greenish). Instead, use complementary colors to neutralize and darken without shifting hue (Source 8).
→Ignoring the 'mixed contrast' effect, where the eye sees the complementary of a previously viewed color, leading to inaccurate color mixing (Source 3).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the monochrome structure (Source 1).
→Using a uniform sheen for all areas, failing to achieve the 'sensuous depiction' and varied texture characteristic of Velázquez’s style (Source 7).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific details of the sitter’s clothing, jewelry, or background are not described in the sources and cannot be inferred without risking inaccuracy.
·The exact proportions and pose of the sitter are not detailed in the sources.
·Velázquez’s specific underdrawing technique for this early work is not explicitly documented in the provided passages.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color adjustment and contrast management

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Diego Velázquez↗
- Caravaggio and Velásquez — applied to Brushwork style and departure from Caravaggio
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Goals of portraiture (character vs. likeness)
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Pigment mixing and hue shift warnings