plate no. 5164
Young Man Singing
Dirck van Baburen, 1622
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding dramatic lighting and shadow.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 02
Establish the background with a mid-tone brown.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face, body, and clothing.
- step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, using subtle color variations to create form.
- step 05
Add details to the clothing, hat, and musical score.
- step 06
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · burnt sienna
Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white, adding small amounts of burnt sienna for warmth and ultramarine blue for shadows. The teal color is achieved by mixing ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow.
techniques
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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