plate no. 8238

Portrait of Lorinc Szabo

Jozsef Rippl-Ronai, 1923

oilSymbolismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingglasseshair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating soft, blended effects with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness with subtle variations in value and color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin, even wash of a light, warm tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, and clothing, using broad strokes.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, using darker values to create shadows and lighter values to create highlights.
step 06
Add the glasses, using a fine brush to create the delicate lines of the frames.
step 07
Soften the edges of the forms by blending the colors together with a soft brush or your fingers.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix skin tones by blending white, raw umber, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre. Achieve the blue of the coat by mixing cerulean blue with a touch of ultramarine blue and white. Use black and white to create the dark tones in the hair and clothing.

techniques

·soft blending
·color layering
·scumbling
·portrait sketching

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details, resulting in a stiff and unnatural appearance.
→Using too much paint, which can make the colors muddy.
→Neglecting the subtle shifts in color and value, which can make the portrait look flat.
→Incorrect proportions in the initial sketch.