plate no. 6254

Portrait of I. I. Dmitriyev

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and rendering fabric textures with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of depth through layering.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of mixed greens and grays.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face with light skin tones, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 04
Begin layering darker values to define the facial features, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Paint the hair with a combination of light and dark tones, suggesting individual strands.
step 06
Block in the dark green of the coat, adding subtle variations in color and value to create depth.
step 07
Paint the white ruffled shirt, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 08
Add the final details, such as the buttons and any remaining highlights.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · viridian green

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of alizarin crimson. The green coat is a mix of viridian green, ivory black, and a touch of yellow ochre.

techniques