plate no. 5626

Portrait of Sylvain Kahn

Thérèse Schwartze, 1911

oilRealismportraitportraitfiguretablestill lifeclothinginterior

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as understanding how to create depth and form using subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the composition and proportions of the figure and objects.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 03
Develop the background, gradually adding layers of color and detail.
step 04
Focus on the face, carefully building up the skin tones and capturing the likeness of the subject.
step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, hands, and objects on the table.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Pay attention to the texture of the different surfaces, such as the skin, fabric, and paper.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a harmonious and realistic result.

color palette

primary · ivory black · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

Mix various shades of brown and gray by combining black, umber, sienna, and white. Use small amounts of red, blue, and yellow to adjust the temperature and saturation of the colors.

techniques