plate no. 7899

Portrait of Charles VII, King of France

oil, panelNorthern Renaissanceportraitportraitfigureclothinghatcurtainsframe

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric folds and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hands.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of green paint.
step 03
Establish the main values of the face, using a limited palette of skin tones.
step 04
Begin layering the red robe, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 05
Add details to the hat, including the gold embellishments.
step 06
Paint the curtains, focusing on the light and shadow patterns.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, hands, and clothing.
step 08
Add the frame and lettering.

color palette

primary · red ochre · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · viridian green · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red ochre, and a touch of yellow ochre. Create the red robe by mixing red ochre with a touch of black for shadows and white for highlights. The green background is a mix of viridian green and yellow ochre.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·portraiture
·fabric rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Not creating enough contrast in the shadows.
→Using too much paint and losing the subtle details.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (red ochre, ivory black, titanium white, viridian green, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette
·assorted brushes (small round, medium flat)
·palette knife
·rags