plate no. 0964

Portrait of a Naval Officer

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothingwigofficer

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness, rendering fabric textures, and understanding subtle value changes in skin tones. It also provides practice in painting details like buttons and lace.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background oval.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of color.
step 03
Block in the background with a dark, neutral tone, paying attention to the subtle gradient.
step 04
Begin building up the skin tones, focusing on accurate color mixing and smooth blending.
step 05
Paint the clothing, starting with the darkest areas and gradually adding highlights.
step 06
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, ensuring accurate placement and proportions.
step 07
Render the wig with careful attention to the curls and highlights.
step 08
Add final details and refine the edges to create a polished finish.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · raw sienna

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the dark clothing, adding white for highlights. Create the gold vest with yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions in the initial sketch.
→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle value changes in the face.
→Ignoring the importance of edges in creating form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (ivory black, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, raw sienna)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags