plate no. 7478
Portrait of Antoine, bastard of Burgundy
Rogier van der Weyden, 1460
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle value gradations for realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering textures and details, such as the fabric of the hat and the metal of the chain.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hand.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of blue and black.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the skin tones, hat, clothing, and arrow.
- step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, using subtle gradations of color to create form and volume.
- step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 06
Paint the hat, paying attention to the texture and folds of the fabric.
- step 07
Render the chain and pendant, focusing on the highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to the entire painting.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white · cadmium red light
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, raw umber, and a touch of red. The hat color is a mix of red and burnt umber. The gold chain is yellow ochre lightened with white and shaded with burnt umber.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·blending
- ·portraiture
- ·rendering metal
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the chain and pendant.
- →Not paying enough attention to the details of the clothing and hat.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·assorted round and flat brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·damar varnish
- ·medium
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface will help with blending.
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