plate no. 9206

Portrait of Randolph Marriott

oilRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghistoricalruff

recreation guide

This recreation guide focuses on the technical execution of a Rococo-style oil portrait by Lemuel Francis Abbott, specifically 'Portrait of Randolph Marriott.' While the specific visual details of this particular sitter (clothing, pose, background) are not described in the provided sources, the guide relies on the documented practices of oil painting from the period and the general conventions of portrait painting. The process emphasizes the 'fat over lean' rule for layer stability (Source 5), the use of a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish form before applying color (Source 1), and the application of glazing and scumbling techniques to achieve the luminous, transparent effects characteristic of the Rococo style and old master traditions (Source 1). The portrait aims to capture the 'inner essence' and character of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness, consistent with the artistic goals of the era (Source 4).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 6-8 sessions (allowing for drying times between glaze layers)

materials

7 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Canvas or panel	Support for the painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso
Charcoal or thinned paint	Initial sketching of the subject	Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent
Linseed oil	Medium to bind pigments and adjust drying time	Refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent for thinning paint and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits
Oil paints (Black, Ultramarine, White, Red, Yellow)	Primary pigments for grisaille and color layers	Artist-grade oil paints
Oil of Copavia (or modern resin varnish)	Medium for the first and second paintings as per Reynolds' method cited in sources	Dammar varnish or stand oil
Palette knives and rags	Application and removal of paint layers	Standard palette knives and lint-free cloths

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Abbott are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques involve a stable ground. The artist should ensure the surface is ready for the 'fat over lean' application rule, where each subsequent layer contains more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking (Source 5).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint (Source 5). This initial drawing establishes the composition and likeness. In portrait painting, achieving a recognizable likeness is a primary intent, though the artist should aim for the 'inner essence' and character of the subject rather than just external appearance (Source 4). The eyes and eyebrows are critical for conveying expression, as the mouth is often kept neutral in historical portraits (Source 4).

underpainting

Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to focus on form and value (Source 1). This grisaille layer should be allowed to dry completely before proceeding. This method was established by Sir Joshua Reynolds and practiced by old masters to build structure before adding color (Source 1).

color palette

Black, Ultramarine, White

Grisaille underpainting and initial tonal structure (Source 1)

Red and Yellow tones

Various red and yellow pigments

Glazing and scumbling over the dried grisaille to add warmth and flesh tones (Source 1)

Flesh tones

Derived from glazing red/yellow over grisaille

Human figure, inherent to the model (Source 2)

Background/Draperies

Artist's choice, harmonized with flesh tones

Accessories and background, chosen to harmonize with inherent colors (Source 2)

composition

The composition should focus on the human figure, likely a bust or half-length view, as is common in portrait painting (Source 4). The artist has the choice of draperies, ornaments, and background, which should be selected to harmonize with the inherent colors of the flesh, eyes, and hair (Source 2). The arrangement should avoid arbitrary color choices that disrupt the harmony of the composition (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the subject's likeness onto the prepared canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Focus on the eyes and eyebrows to capture character, as the mouth is often neutral in historical portraits.
Initial Sketch

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the forms and values without red or yellow.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on the underlying structure.
Grisaille

first pass

step 04
Glaze and scumble red and yellow tones over the dried grisaille. Use oil at first, then varnish and oil mixed.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. This mimics tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Glazing and Scumbling

drying

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation; wait until dry to the touch, which may take up to two weeks.
Drying

refining

step 05
Apply subsequent layers following the 'fat over lean' rule. Each layer should contain more oil than the one below.
Tip — If layers contain less oil, the painting will crack and peel.
Fat over Lean

finishing

step 06
Adjust colors to harmonize with the inherent tones of the flesh and eyes. Use contrast principles to enhance light and dark tones.
Tip — Be aware that adjacent colors affect perception; the lightest tone may appear lowered and the darkest heightened.
Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 07
Apply a final varnish if desired, using resins or varnishes to adjust sheen and translucency.
Tip — Varnishes can aid in adjusting the sheen and density of the paint film.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to apply red and yellow tones over a dried grisaille. Glazing is transparent, scumbling is semi-opaque. This method was common among old masters and cited by Reynolds.

Fat over Lean

A basic rule of oil painting where each additional layer contains more oil than the previous one to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other's appearance. The artist must account for this to accurately perceive and imitate light modifications on the model.

common pitfalls

→Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, leading to cracking and peeling (Source 5).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, which can lead to inaccurate color perception and application (Source 7).
→Attempting to achieve photographic realism at the expense of the medium's vitality, resulting in a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than a fine picture (Source 8).
→Overlooking the importance of the eyes and eyebrows in conveying character, as the mouth is often neutral in historical portraits (Source 4).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of 'Portrait of Randolph Marriott' (e.g., clothing, background, pose) are not described in the sources.
·Lemuel Francis Abbott's specific personal palette or unique deviations from general Rococo practices are not detailed in the provided texts.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color harmony and contrast principles
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium vitality and avoiding mere deception

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 & 2 — applied to Goals of portraiture, expression through eyes/eyebrows
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Materials, fat over lean rule, drying times

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

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