plate no. 7098

Portrait of Bryan Edwards half-length in a brown coat seated before a green curtain a view to a Caribbean landscape beyond

oilRococoportraitportraitfigurecoatlandscapecurtainbuilding

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating depth through subtle value changes and atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, paying attention to subtle color variations.
step 04
Define the features of the face, focusing on accurate placement and proportions.
step 05
Work on the coat, creating depth and texture with layers of paint.
step 06
Add details to the background, including the curtain and landscape.
step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of form and dimension.
step 08
Add final details and adjust colors as needed.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green

Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of raw umber. Achieve the dark coat color by mixing black and raw umber. Use viridian green and yellow ochre to create the curtain and landscape colors.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to create enough depth in the coat.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 16x20
·Oil paints: ivory black, titanium white, raw umber, cadmium red, yellow ochre, viridian green
·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·Flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife