plate no. 3348
Portrait of a P.I. Sorokoumovskogo
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 painting drapery and textures of different materials.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, clothing, and chair.
- step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds and shadows.
- step 05
Paint the chair and background, adding details and textures.
- step 06
Add the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows throughout the painting.
- step 08
Add final details, such as the medal and the paper in the hand.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of raw umber. Achieve dark blacks by mixing ivory black and burnt umber. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·drapery
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Not paying attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
- →Ignoring the details of the clothing and chair.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·oil paints
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#8 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next.
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