plate no. 0480

Portrait of François Coppée (1842-1908)

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanprofilehairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly capturing likeness and using a limited palette to create subtle variations in skin tone. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic outline of the head and shoulders, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of diluted brown and white, creating a soft, diffused effect.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face using a mid-tone mixture of brown, red, and white.
step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on the subtle variations in color and value to create form.
step 05
Paint the hair using loose, expressive brushstrokes, varying the color and value to suggest texture and depth.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, keeping the brushwork loose and suggestive.
step 07
Soften edges and blend transitions where necessary to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to bring the portrait to life.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · burnt sienna

secondary · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, burnt sienna, and alizarin crimson. Use yellow ochre to warm up the skin tones and create highlights.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·scumbling
·broken color
·limited palette
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.
→Using too much paint and losing the transparency.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Palette knife