plate no. 3617

The Officers of the St Adrian Militia Company

oil, canvasBaroqueportraitfiguresportraitsflagsweaponsclothinggroup portrait

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likenesses and rendering complex drapery, as well as understanding light and shadow in a multi-figure composition. It also provides practice in glazing and scumbling to achieve realistic skin tones and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 40 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the overall composition and placement of figures.
step 02
Establish the background with broad, dark tones, focusing on the building and trees.
step 03
Block in the main shapes and values of each figure, paying attention to proportions and relative sizes.
step 04
Start developing the faces, focusing on accurate placement of features and subtle value changes.
step 05
Work on the clothing and accessories, building up layers of color and detail.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Refine the details of the flags, weapons, and other objects.
step 08
Apply glazes to unify the colors and create a sense of atmosphere.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red; use raw umber and ivory black for dark shadows; create variations in clothing by adding small amounts of blue or red to brown mixtures.

techniques