plate no. 6758

Portrait of Nikolay Borisovich Samoylov

oilAcademicismportraitportraitfigureclothinghistoricalmalearistocrat

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones, as well as understanding how to depict fabric and textures with oil paints.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hand placement.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted green and brown tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, clothing, and sash, using a limited palette.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the highlights and shadows to create form.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds, buttons, and lace, using smaller brushes.
step 06
Add the details of the sash and the medal, focusing on the texture and highlights.
step 07
Refine the background and adjust the overall values to create depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · ivory black · burnt umber · raw sienna · cadmium red

secondary · titanium white · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Achieve the darks in the clothing by mixing black and umber. The red sash is a mix of cadmium red and alizarin crimson.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·blending

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Using too much paint and losing the subtle gradations of tone.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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