plate no. 7564

Sandy Laughner, Jr.

oilContemporary Realismportraitportraitfiguremanleather jackethairbeard

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in accurate color mixing, capturing realistic skin tones, and rendering textures like hair and leather. It also provides practice in creating depth and form through subtle value changes.

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 jacket on the canvas.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin, even layer of neutral color.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, jacket, and sweater, focusing on accurate value relationships.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the texture of the hair and beard using small, controlled brushstrokes.
step 06
Render the leather jacket, focusing on capturing the highlights and shadows that define its form and texture.
step 07
Refine the details of the sweater and any other visible clothing.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of cadmium red. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create neutral grays for shadows and the background. Mix ivory black with burnt umber for the leather jacket.

techniques

·portrait painting
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Neglecting to establish accurate value relationships early in the painting process.
→Getting lost in details before establishing the overall form and composition.
→Using too much paint, obscuring the underlying layers and losing luminosity.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, burnt umber, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, ivory black)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife