plate no. 7987
Portrait of Paul De Vigne
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students practice portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering form with a limited palette. It also provides practice in creating texture with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 10 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch of the composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 02
Block in the main shapes with thin washes of color, establishing the overall value structure.
- step 03
Start building up the darker values in the background and clothing.
- step 04
Begin defining the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow.
- step 05
Add details to the beard and hair, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the clothing and background, adding subtle variations in color and texture.
- step 07
Add highlights to the face and clothing to create a sense of depth.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre
Mix burnt umber and white for lighter skin tones, add a touch of yellow ochre for warmth. Use black sparingly to darken shadows.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·scumbling
- ·value layering
- ·portrait sketching
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Making the skin tones too flat and lifeless.
- →Using too much black and making the painting look muddy.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·medium gloss
Use a canvas with a medium texture to help create the desired brushstroke effect.
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