plate no. 0364
Sketch to portrait of Georg Brandes
Peder Severin Kroyer, 1900
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering form with loose brushstrokes. It also provides practice in creating depth and atmosphere using a limited color palette.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 10 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and table.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin building up the form of the face, focusing on the planes and angles.
- step 04
Define the clothing with broad, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 05
Add details to the hands and facial features, paying attention to subtle variations in tone.
- step 06
Refine the background, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere.
- step 07
Add highlights to the face, hair, and clothing to create a focal point.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · ivory black · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light
Mix various shades of gray and brown by combining black, umber, and white. Use small amounts of yellow ochre and red to add warmth to the skin tones and table.
techniques
- ·alla prima
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating form.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·#6 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-grain canvas for a textured effect. Consider using a toned ground to unify the colors.
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