plate no. 9865

Portrait of David Hume

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfigureclothingbookshistorical

experienced study

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, rendering skin tones, and capturing likeness. It also provides practice in painting detailed fabrics 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 hand.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar neutral tone.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the background, clothing, and skin, paying attention to the subtle shifts in hue and value.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle gradations of tone to create form.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the lace, embroidery, and folds in the fabric.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension throughout the painting.
step 07
Refine the details of the hand and the books, paying attention to the texture and form.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors, values, and details to achieve a cohesive and realistic representation.

color palette

primary · red · ivory black · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ultramarine blue

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red, with small amounts of umber and blue for shadows. The red coat is a mix of red with touches of umber and yellow ochre to create variations in tone. The gold embroidery is created by mixing yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white.

techniques

·Portraiture
·Blending
·Layering
·Glazing
·Chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of the face and figure.
→Overly harsh or flat skin tones.
→Inaccurate rendering of the clothing details.
→Losing the overall value structure and creating a muddy or unclear image.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (red, ivory black, titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw sienna, ultramarine blue)
·Assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Rags