plate no. 3355

Portret Van Desiderius Erasmus

oilNorthern Renaissanceportraitportraitfigurebookhandsclothingdesk

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle value gradations to create form. It also provides practice in rendering textures, such as skin and fabric.

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 figure, book, and background.
step 02
Establish the main light source and map out the areas of light and shadow.
step 03
Begin blocking in the background with thin washes of color, focusing on the wood grain.
step 04
Start building up the skin tones using layers of thin paint, paying attention to subtle color variations.
step 05
Paint the clothing and hat, using darker values to create depth and form.
step 06
Add details to the hands and book, including the pen and any visible text.
step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of realism.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium yellow light

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white. Use burnt sienna for shadows and cadmium yellow light for highlights. Achieve darker values by adding ivory black to raw umber.

techniques