plate no. 9281
Portrait of a railway worker (Misha Meheteli)
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified portraiture and color mixing for a limited palette. It also encourages observation of textures and recreating an aged effect.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a tin or canvas surface with a base layer of gray.
- step 02
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, wreath, and roses.
- step 03
Block in the dark areas of the suit and hair with a dark brown/black mix.
- step 04
Paint the skin tones using a limited palette of browns, yellows, and white, focusing on simple shading.
- step 05
Add the yellow of the shirt.
- step 06
Paint the roses with reds and greens, using simple shapes and highlights.
- step 07
Add the leaves and stems of the wreath.
- step 08
Create the aged effect by adding cracks and imperfections with thin glazes of dark brown and white.
color palette
primary · ivory black · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · sap green
Mix browns and whites for skin tones. Use red and a touch of black for the roses. Mix greens for the leaves.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·dry brushing
- ·glazing
- ·simplified shading
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overcomplicating the skin tones.
- →Making the roses too detailed.
- →Not capturing the aged texture.
- →Using too many colors.
materials
surface · Tin panel or stretched canvas
required
- ·Tin or canvas panel
- ·Acrylic gesso (optional)
- ·Burnt umber oil paint
- ·Ivory black oil paint
- ·Titanium white oil paint
- ·Cadmium red oil paint
- ·Round brushes (various sizes)
- ·Palette
optional
- ·Palette knife
- ·Linseed oil
- ·Retouch varnish
If using canvas, apply gesso first. Consider using a textured gesso for a more aged look.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
