plate no. 4192
Portrait of Nikolay Panafidin.
Isaac Levitan, 1891
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones and textures. It also provides practice in depicting clothing and creating a sense of depth through tonal variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and chair.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, focusing on the subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Develop the details of the beard, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture.
- step 05
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
- step 06
Add the background, blending the colors softly to create a sense of depth.
- step 07
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the realism of the painting.
color palette
primary · ivory black · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · viridian
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, sienna, umber, and small amounts of red and yellow. Use black and umber for dark shadows, and add white for highlights. Mix viridian with umber and white for the green pants.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
- →Making the shadows too dark and flat.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Ignoring the importance of reflected light.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Allow each layer of paint to dry before applying the next.
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