Studying a Sargent Head

John Singer Sargent’s painting 'Head of an Arab' is a study he made for the Boston Public Library murals in 1891. Among the countless works he made for the library project, to me, this one stands out for its beautiful brushwork and fantastic color. I tried to finish my copy in one session but wasn’t quite able. Working sight size with a tablet next to my canvas paper this study took about four hours. My palette was: Titanium white Yellow ochre Cadmium yellow light Cadmium red light Alizarin crimson Burnt Sienna Raw umber Cobalt blue Ivory black Linseed oil was my medium. Brushes were bristle rounds and filberts and nylon rounds. Thanks for watching!