plate no. 5438

Portrait of Dorothy Turner Née Gallimore

oilRococoportraitportraitfiguredresslandscapehairsky

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of a portrait in the style of Lemuel Francis Abbott, a prominent 18th-century British portraitist. While the specific visual details of 'Portrait of Dorothy Turner Née Gallimore' are not described in the provided sources, the guide relies on the general principles of oil painting and portraiture documented in the texts. The work is classified under the Rococo style, which historically emphasizes elegance and lightness, though the sources focus more heavily on the technical execution of oil media and the psychological depth required in portraiture. The artist’s practice, as inferred from general records, involves capturing the 'inner essence' of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness, aiming for a representation of character and moral quality (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the painting	Artist-grade oil paints
Linseed oil	To mix with paint to adjust consistency and drying time; essential for the 'fat over lean' rule	Refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent to thin paint for underpainting and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine substitute
Canvas	Support surface for the oil painting	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Charcoal or thinned paint	For the initial sketching of the subject onto the canvas	Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent
Paintbrushes	Primary tool for transferring paint to the surface	Hog bristle and sable brushes
Palette knives and rags	For scraping off paint, mixing, and adjusting texture	Steel palette knives and lint-free cloths

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Abbott are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques assume a stable surface. The artist must ensure the ground is sound to prevent cracking, as the stability of the paint film depends on the quality of the oil and the preparation (Source 6).

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 6). For a portrait, this underdrawing should establish the likeness and composition. The artist should aim for a 'sound craftsman' approach, ensuring the initial marks are accurate to avoid 'smallness' or timid adherence to outlines later (Source 1).

underpainting

The artist should apply a lean underpainting using paint thinned with solvents. This layer establishes the tonal values and basic forms. The 'fat over lean' rule dictates that this initial layer must contain less oil than subsequent layers to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 6).

color palette

Flesh tones

Varying mixtures of earth tones, whites, and reds

General use in this artist's palette; sources note that flesh colors are fixed by the model in portraiture (Source 8)

Background/Draperies

Complementary colors to the flesh tones

General use; the artist has a choice of draperies and backgrounds to harmonize with the inherent colors of the subject (Source 8)

Dark accents

Burnt umber, black, or dark browns

General use; used to heighten contrast and define forms, consistent with chiaroscuro principles (Source 8)

composition

The portrait likely depicts the subject in a 'half-length' or 'head and shoulders' format, which is common for this genre (Source 3). The subject's head may be in a 'three-quarter view' to reveal character more effectively than a full face or profile (Source 3). The composition should aim to show the 'inner essence' of the subject, avoiding temporary or fleeting expressions in favor of a serious, closed-lip stare or subtle emotion conveyed through the eyes and eyebrows (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is recognizable, as the intent of portrait painting is to represent a specific human subject (Source 2).
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin, lean layer of paint to establish basic tones and forms.
Tip — Use solvents to thin the paint. This layer must be lean to allow subsequent layers to dry properly (Source 6).
Fat over lean

first pass

step 03
Begin applying broader masses of color, focusing on the inherent colors of the flesh, eyes, and hair.
Tip — Avoid getting 'too much tied down to your outline' or being 'too timid to depart from it' (Source 1).
Broad masses

refining

step 04
Refine the facial features, particularly the eyes and eyebrows, to convey character.
Tip — The eyes are the place to look for the most complete information about the subject; eyebrows can register subtle emotions (Source 3).
Expression of character
step 05
Adjust colors based on simultaneous contrast, ensuring that adjacent colors harmonize.
Tip — Be aware that colors appear different when viewed together; the lightest tone will be lowered and the darkest heightened (Source 4).
Simultaneous contrast

finishing

step 06
Apply final layers of paint, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the previous one.
Tip — If each additional layer contains less oil, the final painting will crack and peel (Source 6).
Fat over lean
step 07
Review the painting for 'smallness' or over-modeling.
Tip — If the painting feels too detailed or timid, step back and assess the broad masses (Source 1).
Corrective copying principles

critical techniques

Fat over lean

A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking (Source 6).

Simultaneous contrast

Understanding that colors affect each other when placed side-by-side; the artist must perceive and imitate these modifications to harmonize the composition (Source 4).

Expression of character

Focusing on the eyes and eyebrows to convey the inner essence and moral quality of the subject, rather than just a literal likeness (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Cracking and peeling due to violating the 'fat over lean' rule (Source 6).
→Becoming 'too much tied down to your outline' or being 'too timid to depart from it' (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or falling into 'smallness' by focusing too much on minor details rather than broad masses (Source 1).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to disharmonious colors (Source 4).
→Attempting to produce a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than expressing the vitality of the medium (Source 5).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of 'Portrait of Dorothy Turner Née Gallimore' such as clothing, background, and exact pose are not described in the sources.
·Lemuel Francis Abbott's specific palette preferences are not detailed in the provided texts.
·The exact year of creation is not available.
·Specific preparatory methods unique to Abbott are not documented in the sources.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding smallness and over-modeling; importance of being a sound craftsman
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Principles of simultaneous contrast and color harmony
- 6 — applied to Chiaroscuro and gradation of light through juxtaposition
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium vitality and avoiding mere deception

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Definition of portrait painting and intent to represent a specific subject
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Biographical info on Abbott; emphasis on inner essence and character expression through eyes/eyebrows
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Technical details on fat over lean, solvents, and layering