plate no. 1970

William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook

Graham Sutherland, 1952

oilExpressionismportraitportraitmanfacesuittie

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and expressive brushwork. It also encourages observation of subtle value changes to create form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Block in the background with a mid-tone gray-green.
step 03
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face using a limited palette of warm and cool tones.
step 04
Begin adding details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the texture of the skin with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the suit and tie, simplifying the forms and focusing on the overall shape.
step 07
Refine the edges and details, adjusting the values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · raw sienna

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white. Add small amounts of cadmium red for warmth and ultramarine blue for cool shadows. The background is a mix of ivory black, ultramarine blue, and titanium white.

techniques

·broken color
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·color mixing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat and lifeless appearance.
→Getting the proportions of the facial features wrong.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing them.
→Ignoring the subtle value changes that create form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium red, ivory black)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags