plate no. 1145
Portrait of a Young Man (Alessandro de Medici )
Jacopo Pontormo, 1526
some experience helpful
This painting offers a good exercise in portraiture, focusing on capturing likeness and rendering fabric folds. Students will develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle skin tones and drapery.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure on the canvas.
- step 02
Block in the background with a dark, neutral color.
- step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face and clothing.
- step 04
Begin layering colors to build up the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations.
- step 05
Define the folds and drapery of the clothing, using highlights and shadows to create depth.
- step 06
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Refine the edges and contours of the figure.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
Mix white with small amounts of red and umber for skin tones. Use black and umber for the dark clothing and background. Mix red with white and a touch of umber for the pink robe.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·blending
- ·fabric rendering
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to create a more unified color palette.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Apollo and the Muses (Parnassus)
Lavinia Fontana
Portrait Of Don Rodrigo Vasquez
El Greco
Madonna Bolognini
Correggio
The Unhappy Lot of the Rich
Maerten van Heemskerck
Head of a Woman
Orazio Gentileschi
The Deposition
Giorgio Vasari
Portrait of a Man Holding a Letter
Francesco de' Rossi (Francesco Salviati), "Cecchino"
Portrait of the Physician Carlo Fontana
Bartolomeo Passerotti