plate no. 5845

The Honourable Edward Sackville West

Graham Sutherland, 1958

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingfacehead

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing likeness through careful observation. It also provides practice in layering and blending paint to achieve subtle tonal variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head and shoulders.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of brown paint.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to refine the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in hue and value.
step 05
Paint the clothing, focusing on the folds and shadows.
step 06
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushes.
step 07
Refine the edges and contours of the figure to create a sense of depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing raw umber, burnt sienna, and titanium white. Use small amounts of green and blue to create cooler shadows. Mix viridian green with yellow ochre and white for the jacket.

techniques