plate no. 7739

Portrait of director of Capella Mark Fedorovich Poltoratsky

oilRococoportraitportraitfigureclothinghistoricalmale

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and rendering of fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating subtle value gradations to model form.

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 onto the canvas.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted browns and grays.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, hair, and clothing.
step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds, buttons, and lace.
step 06
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add highlights and details to the hair to create texture and form.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · red · white · brown · yellow ochre

secondary · black · gold

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and small amounts of red and brown. Vary the proportions to create different shades and highlights. The red coat is a mix of red with touches of brown and black to deepen the shadows.

techniques