plate no. 6746
After War
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, hood, hill, and crosses.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of off-white paint.
- step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a mix of yellows, reds, and browns.
- step 04
Paint the hood with a base of dark red-brown, adding highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Define the features of the face, paying attention to the eyes and mouth.
- step 06
Block in the hill with various shades of brown, green, and yellow.
- step 07
Add the crosses in the background using dark brown or black.
- step 08
Refine details and add texture with visible brushstrokes.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · sap green · raw sienna
Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, adding small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create dark shadows.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·dry brush texture
- ·color mixing
- ·scumbling
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Failing to capture the expression in the eyes.
- →Making the colors too saturated or bright.
- →Losing the loose, expressive brushstrokes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic gesso
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the brushstroke visibility. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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