plate no. 5170
Princess Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk
Mabuse, 1516
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as understanding how to depict intricate details in clothing and jewelry.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 30 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a preliminary sketch outlining the composition, focusing on proportions and placement of figures.
- step 02
Block in the background with dark greens and browns, establishing the overall tone.
- step 03
Begin painting the faces, starting with a base layer of skin tones and gradually building up highlights and shadows.
- step 04
Carefully render the clothing, paying attention to the folds and textures of the fabric.
- step 05
Paint the jewelry and other details, using fine brushes to capture the intricate designs.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the details and make any necessary adjustments to the composition.
- step 08
Apply a final layer of varnish to protect the painting.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · gold · emerald green · burnt sienna
Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Achieve the dark blacks by mixing ivory black with a touch of burnt umber.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·rendering
- ·detail work
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
- →Failing to capture the intricate details of the clothing and jewelry.
- →Not creating enough contrast between light and shadow.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·variety of brushes (small detail brush, round brush, flat brush)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·palette knife
- ·rags
optional
- ·retouch varnish
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to improve the flow and blending of the paints.
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