plate no. 5585

Portrait of an elderly gentleman wearing a black overcoat, white shirt and a necktie

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingelderlynecktie

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness, rendering skin tones, and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes. It also offers practice in painting realistic textures and clothing folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of burnt umber and raw sienna.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face, using a limited palette of earth tones and white.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle variations in skin tone and texture.
step 05
Paint the hair and beard, using short, broken brushstrokes to create a sense of volume and texture.
step 06
Block in the dark tones of the overcoat and the white of the shirt.
step 07
Add the details of the necktie and any other accessories.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · ivory black · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and white, with small amounts of cadmium red light for warmth. Use ivory black and ultramarine blue to create the dark tones of the overcoat.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·value studies
·blending

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of form.
→Using too much paint and creating a muddy effect.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, ivory black, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags