plate no. 5272

William De Morgan

Evelyn De Morgan, 1909

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigurebooksurninteriorbeard

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practicing detailed rendering of textures and patterns on objects.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch outlining the composition, focusing on proportions and placement of key elements.
step 02
Establish the background with broad, blended strokes, paying attention to the subtle color variations in the drapery and bookshelf.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, starting with the head and torso, using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 04
Develop the skin tones using layering and blending techniques, gradually adding highlights and shadows to create form.
step 05
Paint the beard and hair, using small, controlled brushstrokes to capture the texture and individual strands.
step 06
Render the clothing with attention to folds and fabric texture, using darker values to create depth.
step 07
Paint the urn, focusing on the intricate patterns and reflective qualities of the surface.
step 08
Add final details and refine the overall composition, paying attention to edges and subtle color shifts.

color palette

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

secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and titanium white, with small amounts of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue for subtle variations. Create the urn's colors by glazing layers of alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, and yellow ochre over a base of burnt umber.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·color layering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong, leading to an inaccurate likeness.
→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy or unnatural appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle color variations in the background and clothing.
→Oversimplifying the patterns on the urn, resulting in a flat and unconvincing representation.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, ivory black, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags