plate no. 5537
Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 2nd Bt
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and using a limited palette to create depth and form. It also provides practice in blending and layering paint to achieve subtle tonal variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure by blocking in the background and major areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin to refine the facial features, paying close attention to the placement and shape of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 04
Develop the hair and beard, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture and volume.
- step 05
Work on the clothing, focusing on the folds and drapery to create a sense of form.
- step 06
Refine the details of the face, adding subtle highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Adjust the overall color balance and value contrast to create a harmonious and unified composition.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · ivory black · cadmium red light
Mix burnt umber and raw sienna with varying amounts of titanium white to create the range of skin tones. Use small amounts of cadmium red to add warmth to the cheeks and lips. Mix ivory black with burnt umber to create the darker tones in the shadows.
techniques
- ·grisaille underpainting
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·blending
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Using too much paint and losing the subtle tonal variations.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth and dimension.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to help establish the overall value structure.
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