plate no. 0136

Portrait of Marie-Jospeh Chénier

oilNeoclassicismportraitportraitfigureclothingchairhairscarf

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle color blending for skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and conveying a sense of form through light and shadow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the figure, paying attention to proportions and pose.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin, even layer of grey-blue paint.
step 03
Establish the basic shapes and values of the face, hair, and clothing using thin washes of color.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to refine the skin tones, focusing on subtle shifts in value and hue.
step 05
Develop the details of the hair, using small brushstrokes to create texture and volume.
step 06
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and drapery, and how light interacts with the fabric.
step 07
Add the chair and the object held in the hand, ensuring they are correctly proportioned and placed.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · ivory black · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light

Skin tones are achieved through subtle mixes of white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of red and blue. The coat is primarily raw umber and yellow ochre, lightened with white. The background is a mix of white, black, and blue.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·glazing
·scumbling
·value studies

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Using too much paint, obscuring the underlying layers.
→Ignoring the subtle shifts in value and hue in the skin tones.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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