plate no. 0424

Portrait of Jean Cepeinick

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitmanfigurechairclothingfacial hair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting textures of clothing and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the basic proportions and composition.
step 02
Establish the background with broad, blended strokes of dark browns and ochres.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, focusing on the overall value structure.
step 04
Develop the skin tones using a limited palette and subtle blending techniques.
step 05
Add details to the face, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Render the clothing, capturing the textures and folds with varied brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the details of the chair and other elements in the composition.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by blending white, umber, sienna, and small amounts of red and yellow. Achieve darker values by adding black to the primary colors. Use thin glazes to create subtle color variations.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating depth.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, ivory black, titanium white, cadmium red light, yellow ochre)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags