plate no. 0959

Portrait of Ludwig Graf zu Loewenstein

oilNorthern Renaissanceportraitportraitfigureclothingfurjewelryhat

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones, as well as practice with depicting complex textures like fur and fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the proportions and placement of the figure.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color, starting with the background and then the skin tones.
step 03
Develop the values in the face, paying attention to the subtle shifts in light and shadow.
step 04
Begin rendering the details of the clothing, including the fur collar and the patterned fabric.
step 05
Carefully paint the jewelry and other accessories, paying attention to their metallic sheen.
step 06
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add the lettering in the upper corners.
step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · flesh tones (various) · red · black · gold

secondary · green · brown · yellow ochre

Achieve the flesh tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Create the background by blending green, brown, and black. Use glazes of burnt umber to add depth and shadows.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·portraiture
·rendering textures
·underpainting

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions
→Overly harsh shadows
→Lack of detail in the clothing
→Poor color mixing
→Getting lost in the details too early

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, ivory black, viridian green)
·Assorted brushes (small round, medium flat)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags