plate no. 6989
Portrait of Karl Brulloff
Vasily Tropinin, 1836
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective in landscape painting.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the proportions of the figure and the placement of the landscape elements.
- step 02
Establish the background landscape with broad washes of color, paying attention to the atmospheric perspective.
- step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, focusing on the overall value structure.
- step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds and textures.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the details of the hands and the artist's tools.
- step 08
Add final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light
Mix various shades of brown and gray by combining the primary colors. Use yellow ochre and cadmium red light sparingly for skin tones and highlights.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong
- →Overworking the details
- →Failing to create a sense of depth
- →Using too much color
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·assorted brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Romantic Landscape
Karl Lessing
Self-portrait with his brother Francesco
Giuseppe Tominz
Oenone Refuse de Secourir Pâris au Siège de Troie
Léon Cogniet
Duke of Alba
Francisco Goya
Blick Aus Dem Wald Ins Tal
Andreas Achenbach
Young Girl Fixing Her Hair
Sophie Gengembre Anderson
The Plough Inn
William Shayer
Hudson River Landscape
Johann Hermann Carmiencke