The art of portrait painting in oil colours
This informative book on portrait painting has been preserved for generations and fully deserves to to be available to all portrait artists online. While the art of portraiture has moved on, much of what was written is still valid and relevant to the modern day portrait painter.
Back to The Art of Portrait Painting
PALETTE FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD PAINTINGS
The colours and tints for the second and third paintings will be arranged as directed for the first painting.
White
Naples Yellow Yellow Ochre Raw Sienna Vermilion Light Red Venetian Red Indian Red Rose Madder
Ivory Black
Purple Madder Indian Lake Brown Madder Burnt Sienna Ultramarine Emerald Green Terre Verte Raw Umber Vandyke Brown
For the highest reflections, such as in certain subjects may occur on the forehead,
Pure White
which, having been laid as a preparatory ground, is scumbled over with White and Naples Yellow.
SECONDARY LIGHT White and Naples Yellow
HIGHEST TINT White, Naples Yellow, and Rose Madder
The following tints may be strengthened, or reduced, in order to imitate the complexion, according to the proportion of White, Red, or Yellow of which they may be composed :
White, Raw Sienna, and Rose Madder
White, Raw Sienna, and Indian Red
White, Naples Yellow, and Indian Red
White, Naples Yellow, and Rose Madder, qualified with a
little Ultramarine White, Mars Orange, and Rose Madder
The following set is less transparent than the preceding, and therefore not so generally eligible :
White and Naples Yellow
White, Naples Yellow, and Vermilion
White, Yellow Ochre, and Vermilion
White and Light Red
White and Venetian Red
White, Raw Sienna, and Vermilion
CARNATION
White and Rose Madder White, Rose Madder, and a little Indian Red White, Rose Madder, and a little Light Red White, Rose Madder, and a little Raw Sienna
CARNATIONS OF A LOWER TONE
White and Indian Red White and Purple Madder White and Indian Lake
FLESH TINTS IN HALF TONE
White and Brown Madder
White, Brown Madder, and Burnt Sienna
GREEN TONES
White and Terre Verte White, Naples Yellow, and Ultramarine White, Yellow Ochre, and Ultramarine White, Raw Sienna, and Ultramarine
GREEN GREYS
White, Terre Verte, and Indian Red White, Naples Yellow, Indian Red, and Ultramarine White, Raw Umber, and Ultramarine White, Raw Umber, Indian Red, and Ultramarine
WARM GREYS IN HALF LIGHT White, Light Red, and Emerald Green
(This mixture-a soft warm Grey-is capable of giving most beautiful tones, varying from cold to warm, according to the proportion of Green or Red.)
GREYS
White, Ultramarine, and Indian Red White, Ultramarine, Indian Red, and Raw Umber (This tint is most valuable ; it is capable of any depth of tone.) White, Black, and Light Red White, Brown Madder, and Black White, Light Red, and Ultramarine
PURPLE TONES
White, Rose Madder, and Ultramarine White, Indian Lake, and Ultramarine White, Purple Madder, and Ultramarine White, Indian Red, and Ultramarine
DEEP SHADOW Raw Umber
Raw Umber and Light Red Indian Red, Raw Umber, and Black Vermilion and Black
DEEP GLAZINGS Indian Lake Brown Madder Raw Sienna and Indian Lake Raw Sienna and Brown Madder Lake and Burnt Sienna Light Red, Indian Lake, and Vandyke Brown
HAIR TINTS-LIGHT White, Naples Yellow, and Raw Umber White, Yellow Ochre, and Vandyke Brown White, Raw Sienna, and Raw Umber White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, and a little Black
HALF TONES The same as above, with less Yellow, and mixed with the flesh deep Greys.
DEEP SHADOW Raw Umber Vandyke Brown
Raw Sienna and Vandyke Brown Raw Umber and Brown Madder
BROWN HAIR Raw Umber
Raw Umber and Vandyke Brown Vandyke Brown Cappah Brown
SHADING FOR BROWN HAIR
The deep Grey to be painted into the shadows, and pure Brown Madder worked into that ; or Vandyke Brown and Brown Madder mixed ; or Brown Madder and French Blue. The great beauty in painting hair is to let the Greys be seen through the local colour.
DELICATE COMPLEXIONS
For those of ladies and children, the following tints may be used, the White predominating in each :
White, Naples Yellow, and Rose Madder The same toned with Ultramarine White, Raw Sienna, and Rose Madder White, Naples Yellow, and Indian Red White and Rose Madder White, Rose Madder, and Light Red Rose Madder and Raw Umber Rose Madder and Raw Sienna White, Light Red, and Emerald Green
Such complexions should not be glazed before the portrait is retouched ; it will be enough simply to oil it.
For complexions of strong, ruddy, and mellow hues, the following tints will be found useful; in these the Yellows and Reds will prevail:
White, Raw Sienna, and Rose Madder White, Yellow Ochre, and Vermilion White and Light Red White, Light Red, and Yellow Ochre White, Mars Orange, and Rose Madder White, Terre Verte, and Indian Red Raw Sienna and Rose Madder
Such complexions may be toned with Raw Sienna and Rose Madder before commencing the second painting. A charming effect is produced by working into this glaze.
INCIDENTAL TINTS
From among the following tints may from time to time be selected some which may be found to meet peculiarities. They are adapted to every kind of complexion.
REDS, SLIGHTLY VIOLET, SOMETIMES SEEN IN THE LIPS, NOSTRILS,
AND EARS
Purple Lake and Light Red
The same, reduced by White
HALF TINTS, OR PASSAGES IN WHICH THE SKIN IS EXTREMELY
THIN
White, Purple Lake, and Light Red, and Ultramarine BLUISH TINTS TO COOL PASSAGES THAT HAVE BECOME TOO FOXY
Terre Verte and White
Terre Verte, Rose Madder, and White
Ultramarine and White
HALF TINTS AND RETIRING
Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, and Blue Black Same, with White
BROKEN BLUISH AND GREENISH HUES OCCURRING ROUND THE
MOUTH AND CHIN
Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, Madder Lake, and White Madder Lake, Blue Black, Yellow Ochre, and White
A VARIETY OF STRONG GREYS
which, in proportion as they are reduced by White, or forced with the stronger colours, are fitted for half tints, retiring passages, and approaching the deeper shades:
Vermilion, Blue Black, and White
Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, Black, and White
Light Red, Black, and White
Light Red, Yellow Ochre, and White
Indian Red, Black, and White
Indian Red, Black, White, and Madder Lake
Black, Madder Lake, and Naples Yellow
FOR STRENGTHENING SHADES
These receive a warm or a cool tone, according to the prevalence of Red and Yellow or Black :
Indian Red, Brown Ochre, and Black
The same, with the addition of Naples Yellow
SHADE AND GLAZING TINTS
composed without White, for the sake of obtaining depth and purity. They are also employed in reflexes, and for the modification of warm tones :
Black, Brown Ochre, and Purple Lake
Blue Black, Brown Ochre, Purple Lake, and Naples Yellow
Light Red, Naples Yellow, and Black
For decided touches about the mouth, nostrils, and eyes in a strongly shaded head :
Purple Lake and Burnt Sienna ‘
Burnt Sienna and Vandyke Brown
About John Payne
I’ve been a professional portrait artist for the last 12 years but have been painting for a lot longer . I started out by painting nothing but seascapes and still do the odd one from time to time , I then moved onto landscapes and wildlife paintings before I finally decided to concentrate on portraits.
I get commissioned to paint a lot of pets , mainly dogs – but I also get to paint a fair amount of portraits of people.
more about John John Payne
