plate no. 1238

Sebastian Martinez

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingbookhistorical

what to study here

It shows how a narrow value range and varied edge handling can focus a portrait on the face, hands and one bright secondary accent.

Start with the value structure. The background is near-black, the clothing sits in dark grays, and the warm flesh of the face, neck and hands forms one mid-value mass. The brightest accent is held back for the paper in the sitter's hand and the white shirt ruffle at the neck. Squint and the picture reduces to three groups: dark surround, warm flesh, bright paper. Light comes from the upper left and models the face and right side. The flesh is the most saturated area, so the eye goes there first, and the paper repeats that brightness as a secondary focus. Study how the edges change by subject. Face and neck are blended with soft, nearly invisible transitions. The jacket and breeches use visible strokes that follow the fabric. The paper has cleaner edges, so it reads as an object held in space. The breeches are a warm tan that links skin to shadow. The background stays flat and featureless, which keeps attention on the figure. Try a small value study of this three-group structure before you attempt any color.

key decision

Goya kept the background nearly flat black and reserved the brightest value for the paper and shirt, so the warm face and hands dominate. He softened edges on the flesh and kept them crisper on the paper.

recreation guide

Francisco Goya’s 'Sebastian Martinez' (1792) is a portrait executed in oil on canvas, situated within the Romanticist style. As a portrait, its primary intent is to represent a specific human subject, serving as a record of appearance and potentially encoding social status or character through symbolic elements or background choices (Source 4, Source 6). The work relies on the artist’s mastery of oil painting as a medium capable of expressing vital qualities rather than merely deceiving the eye with illusionistic detail (Source 7). Goya’s approach likely involves a sophisticated understanding of color contrast and harmony, where the juxtaposition of tones creates chiaroscuro and where complementary colors are used to intensify or soften specific hues, such as flesh tones, without altering the pigment itself (Source 2, Source 3).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the portrait, allowing for the expression of vital qualities and subtle tonal gradations.	—
Canvas	Support for the oil paint, prepared according to period standards.	—
Pencil, charcoal, or thin oil	For the initial underdrawing or sketching of the general form and rough likeness.	—
Palette knife and brushes	For applying paint in broad masses and refining details, adhering to the craftsman’s knowledge of the medium.	—

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared to support oil paint, which possesses vast capacity for illusion but must be handled to express the artist’s feeling rather than merely trick the eye (Source 7). While specific ground recipes for Goya are not detailed in the sources, the preparation must allow for the 'alphabet of our art'—the fundamental handling of the medium—to be expressed clearly (Source 1).

underdrawing

For complex compositions or portraits, the artist may first do a complete pencil, ink, charcoal, or oil sketch, particularly if the sitter's time is limited (Source 6). Alternatively, the general form and a rough likeness are sketched out on the canvas in pencil, charcoal, or thin oil (Source 6). Goya, as a sound craftsman, would ensure this underdrawing serves as a foundation for the subsequent application of paint, avoiding being 'too much tied down to your outline' if that is a personal weakness, or using it to correct tendencies toward smallness (Source 1).

underpainting

The sources do not explicitly describe Goya’s specific underpainting technique for this work. However, general practice suggests that after the underdrawing, the artist begins to apply paint. The order of operations should be decided by the artist’s weaknesses; if one fails in finish, copying detailed works is advised, but for original work, broad masses are often dealt with first (Source 1). The underpainting should establish the 'true gradation of light' through the juxtaposition of tones (Source 2).

color palette

Flesh tones

Likely a mix of earth tones, whites, and reds, adjusted for contrast.

The face and hands. The color of the flesh is fixed by the model, but the painter has a choice in how to render it using contrast laws (Source 2, Source 3).

Complementary accents

Colors opposite on the traditional RYB wheel (e.g., red/green, blue/orange).

To intensify or soften specific areas. For example, if carnations are too red, a green background or adjacent tone can make them appear pinker or less pronounced, leveraging simultaneous contrast (Source 3, Source 5).

Background tones

Dark or neutral tones, possibly with subtle color shifts.

To create chiaroscuro. Setting out from the line of juxtaposition, the tint of the highest tone is enfeebled while the lowest is heightened, producing a true gradation of light (Source 2).

composition

The composition likely places the sitter in a manner that serves as a record of their appearance, possibly including symbolic elements or a background that reflects their social milieu (Source 4, Source 6). The background can be totally black or a full scene; Goya’s choice would depend on the desired effect. The arrangement of colors should adhere to the laws of contrast, where juxtaposing different tones of the same color or complementary colors creates visual tension and harmony (Source 2, Source 5, Source 8).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the general form and rough likeness on the canvas using pencil, charcoal, or thin oil.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is recognizable but do not become too tied down to the outline, which can lead to timidity in painting (Source 1, Source 6).
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply broad masses of paint to establish the basic tones and forms, focusing on the gradation of light.
Tip — Use the law of contrast: when two flat tints of different tones are juxtaposed, the higher tone is enfeebled and the lower is heightened, creating a true gradation (Source 2).
Chiaroscuro

first pass

step 03
Develop the flesh tones and key features, paying attention to the inherent colors of the model.
Tip — If flesh tones appear too red, consider surrounding them with green tones to soften them, or use a red background to give a normal aspect (Source 3).
Color harmony

refining

step 04
Refine details and adjust contrasts, ensuring that the paint expresses the artist’s feeling rather than merely deceiving the eye.
Tip — Avoid misdirected effort toward pure illusion; remember that oil paint is a medium for expressing vital qualities and emotional ideas (Source 7).
Expressive realism

finishing

step 05
Final adjustments to color intensity and harmony, using complementary colors to enhance brilliance if needed.
Tip — To increase the brilliancy of a color, surround it with objects of its complementary color (Source 3).
Simultaneous contrast

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to modify the aspect of a color without changing it. For example, red beside blue verges on orange, and blue beside red verges on green. This allows the artist to intensify or soften colors by their surroundings (Source 3).

Chiaroscuro via Juxtaposition

Produced by placing two flat tints of different tones of the same color beside each other. The higher tone is enfeebled and the lower is heightened, creating a true gradation of light (Source 2).

Craftsmanship in Oil

The artist must be a sound craftsman with knowledge of the medium’s capacities. This involves handling broad masses and finish appropriately, avoiding smallness or over-modeling (Source 1).

common pitfalls

→Becoming too tied down to the outline, which can make the artist timid and prevent departure from the sketch (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or tending toward smallness, which can detract from the broad effects of the painting (Source 1).
→Attempting to deceive the eye with pure illusion rather than expressing the vital qualities of the medium and the artist’s feeling (Source 7).
→Ignoring the laws of color contrast, which can lead to muddy or ineffective color harmonies (Source 2, Source 3).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific pigments used by Goya for this particular painting are not detailed in the sources.
·The exact background and clothing details of Sebastian Martinez are not described in the sources, so specific compositional elements must be inferred from general portrait practices.
·Goya’s specific underpainting medium (e.g., grisaille, verdaccio) is not specified.
·The exact lighting conditions and pose of the sitter are not described in the sources.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Underdrawing and avoiding over-modeling
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Chiaroscuro and tonal gradation
The Science of Painting↗
- 4. When two colours separated by more than two others... — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color intensity
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of oil painting and medium expression

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Purpose of the portrait and likeness
- Portrait painting — part 5 — applied to Underdrawing and composition process
Wikipedia: Complementary colors↗
- Complementary colors — part 1 — applied to Color theory and harmony
Wikipedia: Harmony (color)↗
- Harmony (color) — part 1 — applied to Color harmony principles

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light enters from the upper left, modeling the figure's face and right side while leaving the background nearly black. The composition is anchored by the warm flesh tones of the face and hands—the brightest, most saturated areas—which immediately draw the eye. The seated figure occupies the right two-thirds of the canvas, tilted slightly toward us, creating an intimate three-quarter view. A document held in his left hand catches light and provides a secondary focal point that echoes the luminosity of his face.

value structure

The value range is narrow and restrained: near-black background, dark grays in the clothing and shadows, warm mid-tones dominating the flesh, and the brightest accent reserved for the paper. Squint and you'll see three clear groups: the dark surround (background and jacket), the warm mid-value mass (face, neck, and exposed hands), and the bright paper. The breeches read as a distinct warm tan that bridges between skin and shadow.

observed palette and mixes

#0e0e11
Ivory black with a touch of raw umber
Background, deepest shadows in the jacket folds, the darkest recesses
#322d2f
Raw umber with ivory black and a hint of Prussian blue
Mid-tone shadows in the coat and waistcoat, shadow side of the face
#926e59
Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and cadmium yellow with white, modulated by raw umber in shadows
The breeches and lower legs—a warm, earthy tan
#dba36c
Cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, and titanium white with burnt sienna for warmth, cooled slightly with raw umber in shadow areas
Face, neck, and hands—the most saturated and luminous flesh tone
#e8e4d4
Titanium white with a whisper of yellow ochre and raw umber for warmth
The document held in his hand and the white ruffled shirt visible at the neck

edges and brushwork

Edges are soft and blended throughout the face and neck, with the modeling achieved through imperceptible transitions rather than sharp contours. The jacket and breeches are rendered more directly with visible brushstrokes that follow the fabric's form, while the background is left nearly flat and featureless. The paper is handled crisply with cleaner edges, emphasizing its role as an object held in space.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark ground and block in value masses
Tone your entire canvas with a thin wash of ivory black mixed with a little raw umber, diluted with mineral spirits. Once dry, block in the silhouette of the figure—the jacket, breeches, and the general head shape—using dark gray (raw umber + ivory black + Prussian blue). Work loosely; you're mapping light and dark zones, not refining form.
02
Lay in the warm flesh foundation
Mix a warm mid-tone for the face and neck using cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, titanium white, and a touch of burnt sienna. Apply this across the entire face, neck, and exposed areas of the hands with a soft round brush, keeping edges soft and the tone even. This is your base layer—don't worry about modeling yet.
03
Model the face with shadow and highlight
While the flesh layer is still wet or slightly tacky, introduce shadow into the left side of the face (his left, your right) using the same flesh mix darkened with raw umber and a tiny bit of Prussian blue. Keep this transition gradual. Simultaneously, nudge the highlights on the forehead, cheekbone, and the bridge of the nose with a lighter, brighter version of your flesh mix (more white, more cadmium yellow). Work the eye sockets and the subtle planes of the cheek—notice how his eyes gaze slightly down and to the side.
04
Refine the hands and establish the document
The hands receive the same modeling treatment as the face but with slightly more angular, deliberate brushwork. The left hand rests prominently on the document; paint the fingers with careful attention to the foreshortening and the subtle shadows between them. Block in the document as a warm off-white (white + a whisper of yellow ochre + raw umber) with crisp edges, distinct from the softer handling of the flesh.
05
Build the jacket structure with directional brushwork
Using a flat brush and your dark gray (raw umber, ivory black, Prussian blue), define the folds and volume of the jacket with directional strokes that follow the fabric's drape. The jacket has a visible pin or brooch—note its placement on the left side of his chest. Leave the crisp white ruffled shirt visible at the neck; don't let the jacket overwhelm it. The brushwork here should be more confident and visible than in the face.
06
Paint the breeches with warm earthy tone
Mix the warm tan of the breeches using yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cadmium yellow, and white, keeping it lighter and warmer than the jacket but still subordinate to the face. Paint the lower legs and feet clearly; notice how the fabric catches light differently depending on its angle. The shoe or slipper shows a buckle or fastening detail—keep it simple but present.
07
Heighten and unify the background
Ensure the background remains nearly black and completely flat, with no texture or detail. This silence makes the figure sing. Do a final pass to ensure the background has no competing interest; if anything reads as pattern, unify it. The contrast between the figure and the void behind it is crucial to this portrait's presence.
08
Final refinement of the face and hands
Once everything is dry, do a second pass on the face to sharpen the sense of life and character. Work subtly into the eye area—a slight glint and carefully placed pupils will transform the likeness. Soften any edges that feel too hard, especially where the face meets shadow. Check that the warm flesh tone reads as luminous against the dark surround; if it feels dull, a very light glaze of cadmium yellow + white can warm and brighten it. Ensure the hands feel connected to the arms and that the document reads as a distinct object he's holding, not floating.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Overworking the flesh tones—this portrait succeeds through soft, imperceptible blending. Stop before you think you're done; let the paint do the transition work for you.
Making the background too interesting or textured. Resist the urge to add even subtle variation; it will pull focus away from the figure and flatten the sense of depth.
Pushing the face too warm or too saturated in one area. The warmth and light should move across the face like candlelight, not sit in isolated spots. Blend ruthlessly.
Neglecting the gesture and tilt of the figure. He's not sitting bolt upright; there's a slight angle and a sense of intelligent repose. The pose conveys character—don't lose it in pure rendering.

measured difficulty