The canon of the cathedral of Reims

This is a three-quarter profile portrait of an elderly man facing slightly toward the viewer's right. Light falls from the upper left, creating a luminous halo around his voluminous powdered wig and a soft modeling light across his face. The eye moves first to his direct gaze and calm expression, held by the warm, intelligent quality of his eyes. The composition is tightly focused on the head and shoulders; the dark clerical garments (a blue-grey cassock with white collar band) anchor the lower half, while the muted greenish-brown background recedes behind the figure.

Three distinct value zones: the brightest lights are the powdered wig with cool lavender undertones; the mid-tones are concentrated in the face, which glows with a peach-beige warmth; the darkest darks are the clothing and background. The transition from light to shadow across the face is extremely subtle and gradual. When squinting, the wig, face, and clothing read as clearly separated zones, but within the face itself, transitions between planes are nearly invisible.

• #e9d3c1

  titanium white + yellow ochre + touch of cadmium red light

  the warm mid-tone of the face, cheeks, and forehead

• #c2aba0

  yellow ochre + raw umber + white, cooled with touch of ultramarine

  shadow areas of the face, particularly around the jaw and neck

• #48443e

  ultramarine blue + burnt sienna + ivory black

  the dark blue-grey clerical clothing

• #585858

  ivory black + ultramarine + raw umber + white

  the muted greenish-brown background

• #292821

  ivory black + burnt sienna + ultramarine

  deepest shadows, pupil definition, and coat folds

Nearly all edges are imperceptibly soft, achieved through careful blending and glazing rather than visible brushstrokes. The wig shows directional brushwork that follows the curl structure but remains refined and luminous. The face demonstrates masterful subtlety—individual brush marks are virtually invisible, creating smooth transitions between planes. Only in the clothing folds do you see more confident, linear strokes that define the fabric form.

1. 01

   Underdrawing and value key

   Establish proportions: the face is roughly oval, centered in your composition. The wig extends significantly beyond the face width on both sides. Block in the three-quarter turn of the head, noting how the far eye sits back and smaller than the near eye. Lightly indicate the major value zones: bright wig, warm mid-tone face, dark clothing mass below.

2. 02

   Background and clothing base

   Paint the background with a muted mix of raw umber, ultramarine, and white—it should feel almost neutral and recessive. Then block in the dark blue-grey cassock, using ultramarine + black + a touch of burnt sienna to avoid dead black. Paint the white collar band with pure white + touch of ultramarine to keep it cool.

3. 03

   Wig foundation

   Lay in the wig with titanium white + touch of yellow ochre, establishing the overall light mass. Immediately add cool undertones by scumbling ultramarine + white mixture into the shadows of the curls, especially along the profile edge. The wig is never pure white—it has subtle lavender and cream notes that make it luminous.

4. 04

   Face base and geometric structure

   Block in the face with a warm mid-tone of yellow ochre + cadmium red light + white. Establish the major planes: the front of the face, the side plane turning away, the under-plane of the chin. Keep this layer loose. Pay attention to how the light catches the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and the cheekbone on the near side, leaving the far side in softer shadow.

5. 05

   Eyes, nose, and mouth

   The eyes are small but luminous and direct. Paint the iris with a warm golden-brown, leaving a bright white highlight. The pupils should be a soft dark tone, not pure black. The nose is suggested rather than overmodeled—a soft shadow on one side, a highlight on the ridge. The mouth is a warm, muted tone with the lower lip slightly darker. These features must be placed with precision, as they determine likeness.

6. 06

   Facial modeling and shadow planes

   Begin subtle modeling by adding the shadow plane—a cooler, slightly darker version of your face tone (add touch of ultramarine and raw umber). Blend this gradually into the lit side, keeping transitions nearly imperceptible. Focus especially on the shadow under the cheekbone, the temple area, and the neck. The shadow on the far side of the face should be notably cooler in temperature than the lit side.

7. 07

   Refining edges and atmospheric effects

   Soften all edges where the face meets the background and wig—use a nearly dry brush to feather the transitions. The wig edge is slightly crisper than the face/background edge. Add final depth to the clothing folds with ultramarine + burnt sienna darks. Lift highlights on the forehead and nose tip with titanium white + yellow ochre, but keep these refined, not obvious.

8. 08

   Glazing pass for luminosity

   Once the painting is thoroughly dry, apply transparent glazes to unify the whole. A thin glaze of yellow ochre + linseed oil over the face warms and harmonizes skin tones. Glaze ultramarine + white into the wig shadows to deepen cool undertones. A final glaze of raw umber + ultramarine over the background softens and recedes it further. These glazes should be transparent enough to see the layers below.

• Making the wig too white—it must have perceptible lavender and cream undertones, or it will flatten and look lifeless. Resist the urge to use pure white.
• Overworking the face with blending—the smoothness should come from subtle modeling and glazing, not from obvious brushwork. Stop blending before you think you're done.
• Placing or sizing the eyes incorrectly—they are small and set deep, but they are the absolute anchor of the portrait's expression. Get these right first; everything else follows.
• Using warm pink or orange for skin tones without enough ochre base—the warmth must come from yellow ochre and restraint with red, not from cadmium red alone. Test mixes on a separate area first.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility