plate no. 9921

Portrait of Jacques Necker

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothingrococohistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in subtle color blending and creating soft, diffused lighting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the oval shape and the basic proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and torso.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin, even wash of muted gray-green.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the face, hair, and clothing with simplified color masses.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle variations in skin tone and the placement of highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the hair, using short, broken strokes to suggest texture and volume.
step 06
Render the clothing, focusing on the folds and drapery of the jacket and the delicate ruffles of the shirt.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality of the figure.
step 08
Glaze the entire painting with a thin layer of medium to unify the colors and create a soft, luminous effect.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber · alizarin crimson

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Achieve the skin tones by mixing white, raw umber, and a touch of alizarin crimson. Use ivory black and alizarin crimson to create the dark purple of the jacket, and add white for highlights.

techniques