plate no. 0895

Portrait Of The Writer Émile Hinzelin

Émile Friant, 1908

oilRealismportraitportraitmanbookclothingfacefigure

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in creating subtle variations in value and color to model form.

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 head, shoulders, and book.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin layer of warm brown.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the face, clothing, and book.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, using subtle variations in value to create form.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to the book to give it dimension.
step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and texture.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of raw umber. The dark clothing is a mix of black and raw umber. The book is primarily cadmium red light with shadows created by adding a touch of black.

techniques