plate no. 3768

Portrait of Władysław Mickiewicz

Stanisław Wyspiański, 1904

oilExpressionismportraitportraitmanbeardhairclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students practice rendering facial features and hair with visible brushstrokes, as well as using a limited palette to create a cohesive and expressive artwork. It also provides an opportunity to study value relationships to define form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of neutral tone.
step 03
Block in the darkest areas of the hair, beard, and clothing using a dark color.
step 04
Begin building up the mid-tones and highlights in the face, hair, and beard, paying attention to the direction of light.
step 05
Refine the details of the facial features, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using smaller brushes.
step 06
Add texture to the hair and beard using dry brush techniques.
step 07
Adjust the values and colors throughout the painting to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix white with small amounts of raw umber and burnt sienna for skin tones. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black to create cool grays for the hair and beard. Add small amounts of burnt sienna to warm up the shadows.

techniques

·dry brushing
·scumbling
·value layering
·limited palette
·portrait sketching

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure, resulting in a flat and lifeless portrait.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch, leading to inaccuracies in the final painting.
→Using too many colors and creating a muddy or chaotic effect.