plate no. 5297

Portrait of Pompeo Marchesi

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including proportion, capturing likeness, and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in creating texture and depth with visible brushstrokes.

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 clothing.
step 02
Establish the background with broad strokes of blended browns and ochres.
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 eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Paint the hair with loose, expressive brushstrokes, capturing its texture and volume.
step 06
Define the clothing, focusing on the folds and shadows.
step 07
Add highlights to the face and clothing to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Refine the details and make any necessary adjustments to the composition.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · raw sienna · cadmium red light

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by blending white, red, sienna, and a touch of umber. Use umber and black for dark areas, and white with a touch of yellow ochre for highlights.

techniques

·portraiture
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·glazing
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of the face.
→Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Neglecting the subtle variations in color and value.
→Getting lost in details too early.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, raw sienna, cadmium red light, ivory black, yellow ochre)
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette knife