plate no. 5969

Portrait of P. I. Milyukov

oilRealismportraitportraitmanclothingfacehairhand

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portrait proportions, skin tone mixing, and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and form through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and hand.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of brown and umber.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face, using a limited palette of skin tones.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and textures of the fabric.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create a sense of volume and depth.
step 07
Refine the details of the hair and the hand.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre · cadmium red

secondary · ivory black · ultramarine blue

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of burnt umber. Darker areas use more umber and black. The clothing is primarily black and brown, with subtle variations in value.

techniques