plate no. 6741

Portrait of the composer Sergei Rachmaninov

Konstantin Somov, 1925

oil, canvasSymbolismportraitportraitfiguremantreesclothingfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating depth through layering and brushwork. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and conveying a sense of personality.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas with a thin wash of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, focusing on subtle variations in color and value.
step 04
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and textures.
step 05
Develop the background foliage with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the facial features, capturing the likeness of the subject.
step 07
Add highlights and details to bring the painting to life.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color balance.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · sap green · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white with small amounts of alizarin crimson for warmth. Mix greens from sap green, cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue for the background foliage.

techniques

·portraiture
·color mixing
·layering
·blending
·expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, sap green, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson)
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine

optional