plate no. 1675

Professor Gregory Foster

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfigurerobeclothingflagacademic

some experience helpful

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 fabric folds and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background elements.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, paying attention to subtle color variations.
step 04
Define the features of the face, focusing on accurate placement and proportions.
step 05
Work on the robe, using thicker paint and visible brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Add details to the clothing and background, refining the shapes and values.
step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to unify the painting and add depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones using white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue. Achieve the red robe color by mixing cadmium red with a touch of black for shadows and white for highlights.

techniques

·portraiture
·color mixing
·glazing
·brushwork
·rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness of the paint.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints: cadmium red, ivory black, titanium white, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife