plate no. 6303
Portrait of Winston Churchill
Zani Corrado, 2018
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and color mixing to capture form and light. It also provides practice in portraiture and capturing likeness.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the portrait, focusing on the head, hat, and facial features.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of yellow and green, varying the tones slightly.
- step 03
Establish the main shadow shapes on the face and clothing using darker greens, browns, and blues.
- step 04
Begin adding highlights to the face, using lighter greens, yellows, and whites, blending them into the shadows.
- step 05
Develop the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
- step 06
Paint the hat and clothing, using bold brushstrokes to create texture and form.
- step 07
Add the cigar, carefully observing its shape and color.
- step 08
Refine the painting by adjusting the values, colors, and details as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow · green · black · white
secondary · brown · blue · red
Mix greens by combining yellow and black. Achieve skin tones by mixing greens, yellows, reds, and white. Darken colors with black or burnt umber.
techniques
- ·expressive brushstrokes
- ·color mixing
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →over-blending, resulting in a muddy appearance
- →getting proportions wrong in the initial sketch
- →not capturing the likeness of the subject
- →using colors straight from the tube without mixing
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints (yellow, green, black, white, brown, blue, red)
- ·assorted brushes (flat and round)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·painting easel
- ·rags
Use a medium-sized canvas for this project. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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