plate no. 3047
Portrait of the Doge of Venice Nicolò Marcello
Gentile Bellini, 1474
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle value changes to create form. It also provides practice in rendering textures and patterns on clothing.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the profile.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, hat, and clothing.
- step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle value changes.
- step 05
Develop the textures and patterns on the hat and clothing, using thin layers of paint.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the details of the face and clothing.
- step 08
Add the final details, such as the string near the ear.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white · sap green
secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light
Mix various shades of ochre and umber with white to create the skin tones. Use green with umber and ochre for the background. Burnt sienna and cadmium red are used for the details on the bottom.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·value studies
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall form.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth and dimension.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·sap green oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·medium
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to make it easier to judge values.
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