Portrait of August Grahl, German portrait painter and miniaturist

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, sienna, umber, and small amounts of red and yellow. Use black and umber for the dark clothing, adding small amounts of blue for cooler shadows.

techniques

• ·portrait drawing
• ·value studies
• ·glazing
• ·blending
• ·scumbling

common pitfalls

• →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
• →Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
• →Ignoring subtle value changes in the skin.
• →Creating harsh lines instead of soft transitions.