Portrait of Thadee Nathanson

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use raw umber and black to create the dark tones in the beard and clothing. Add white to raw umber for the background.

techniques

• ·portraiture
• ·value study
• ·blending
• ·scumbling
• ·glazing

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat or lifeless appearance.
• →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
• →Ignoring the subtle value changes that create form and depth.
• →Using too much detail in the background, distracting from the main subject.