plate no. 9492

William Bentinck, 1st Graf Bentinck

pastelRococoportraitportraitfigurewigclothingmalehistorical

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and rendering fabric folds. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of depth through subtle shading.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and overall pose.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin, even layer of pastel.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color on the face, clothing, and wig, paying attention to the light and shadow patterns.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create smooth transitions and realistic skin tones.
step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth, using sharp pastel pencils.
step 06
Develop the folds and textures of the clothing, using a combination of soft blending and sharper lines.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to the wig to create a sense of volume and texture.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition, ensuring that the colors and values are balanced.

color palette

primary · red · white · flesh tones · grey

secondary · brown · black · cream · pink

Achieve realistic skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow, and a touch of brown. Create depth in the red coat by layering darker reds and browns in the shadows and lighter reds and pinks in the highlights. Mix grey tones for the wig by blending white and black.

techniques

·blending
·layering
·scumbling
·hatching
·value control

common pitfalls

→Overblending, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, leading to unnatural skin tones.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in value, causing the portrait to lack depth.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.

materials

surface · Pastel paper (toned)

required

·Pastel sticks (various colors)
·Pastel pencils
·Pastel paper (toned)
·Blending stumps
·Kneaded eraser
·Fixative spray
·Drawing board
·Soft cloths

optional

·Palette knife
·Sandpaper block
·Workable fixative

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly textured surface to grip the pastel. A toned paper will help to establish the mid-tones and make it easier to build up the highlights and shadows.

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