plate no. 5675

Portrait of The Reverend John Thomson, Minister of Duddingston

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingfacebackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in creating depth and form through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face and clothing with thin washes of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones with layers of color, focusing on subtle variations in hue and value.
step 04
Refine the features of the face, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the collar and coat, using darker values.
step 06
Work on the background, blending the colors to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
step 07
Add highlights to the face and clothing to create a sense of form and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors, values, and details to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix skin tones by combining white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Use ultramarine blue and black for the dark background. Achieve subtle variations by adding small amounts of other colors.

techniques