plate no. 6631

Portrait of Charles E.W. Bean

George Washington Lambert, 1924

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingnotebookpencil

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones and fabric folds. It also provides practice in creating depth and atmosphere through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hands.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, clothing, and notebook.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying attention to the subtle shifts in value and color.
step 05
Develop the folds and shadows in the clothing, using a combination of blending and layering.
step 06
Add details to the hands and notebook, focusing on the highlights and shadows.
step 07
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black · cadmium red light

Mix skin tones using a base of burnt sienna and white, adding small amounts of yellow ochre and cadmium red light for warmth. Create shadows by adding raw umber and ivory black to the base mix. The clothing is primarily raw umber and white, with subtle variations created by adding small amounts of the other colors.

techniques