plate no. 4428
Portrait of a Youth
Anne-Louis Girodet, 1795
some experience helpful
Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in accurately capturing skin tones and creating subtle gradations of light and shadow. It also provides practice in rendering fabric folds and loose hair.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
5
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a neutral earth tone.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the basic proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin, hair, and shirt.
- step 04
Begin layering in the shadows and highlights on the face, focusing on the planes of the face.
- step 05
Develop the details of the hair, using small brushstrokes to create texture.
- step 06
Refine the folds and highlights in the shirt, paying attention to the way light interacts with the fabric.
- step 07
Adjust the background to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
- step 08
Add final details and glazes to unify the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Vary the proportions to create subtle shifts in color temperature.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·blending
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in value and color temperature.
- →Overworking the details before establishing the overall form.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 filbert brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
A smooth canvas is recommended for achieving the subtle blending in this painting. Consider using a medium to thin the paint for glazing.
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