plate no. 9795

Portrait of Alexei Antipowitsch Potechin

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfiguremanbeardhairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portrait painting, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also emphasizes the importance of value control to create depth and form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition and proportions of the figure.
step 02
Establish the background color using a thin wash of burnt umber and raw sienna.
step 03
Block in the dark areas of the clothing and hair with a mix of black and burnt umber.
step 04
Begin building up the skin tones using layers of raw sienna, burnt sienna, and white.
step 05
Pay close attention to the highlights and shadows on the face to create form.
step 06
Add details to the hair and beard using small brushstrokes and varying values.
step 07
Refine the details of the hand and the object on the table.
step 08
Adjust the overall values and contrast to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · black · yellow ochre · red oxide

Achieve skin tones by mixing raw sienna, burnt sienna, and white in varying proportions. Use burnt umber and black for the dark areas of the clothing and hair. Add small amounts of yellow ochre or red oxide to warm up the skin tones.

techniques