plate no. 1513

Portrait of Jacques Laurens de Waru

Raimundo de Madrazo, 1914

oil, canvasAcademicismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingflowerhand

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness, rendering realistic skin tones, and creating depth through subtle value changes. It also provides practice in painting fabrics and small details like the flower and cigarette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure using light pencil lines.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, clothing, and flower.
step 03
Refine the skin tones by layering and blending different shades of flesh tones.
step 04
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to accurate proportions and values.
step 05
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and shadows to create a sense of form.
step 06
Add the flower and other details, such as the cigarette, with careful attention to detail.
step 07
Refine the background and adjust the overall values to create a cohesive composition.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the realism of the portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by combining titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of alizarin crimson. Use ivory black and raw umber to create the dark tones of the clothing and background. Add white to lighten these colors for highlights.

techniques