plate no. 6069

The Archangel Saint Michael, wearing a plumed helmet with the colors of Austria

oil, canvasAcademicismportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairface

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and understanding light and shadow on a face. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the portrait's basic shapes and proportions on the canvas.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of neutral tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, and clothing, focusing on accurate values.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Develop the shadows and highlights on the face to create depth and dimension.
step 06
Add details to the hair and clothing, using smaller brushes for finer lines and textures.
step 07
Refine the edges of the shapes and blend the colors to create a smooth transition.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the portrait.

color palette

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

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of burnt umber. Blue is added to the skin tone mixture to create shadows. Black is used sparingly to deepen shadows and create dark accents.

techniques