plate no. 9252
Ana Maria Matute
Alejandro Cabeza, 2019
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and the book.
- step 02
Establish the overall background color with a thin wash of muted yellow/brown.
- step 03
Block in the major areas of color: skin, hair, clothing, and book, focusing on the general values.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the subtle shifts in color and value to create form.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, adding highlights and shadows to suggest the folds and texture of the fabric.
- step 06
Paint the book, focusing on the light hitting the pages and the edges.
- step 07
Add final details and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.
- step 08
Glaze and varnish (optional).
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue
The skin tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. The background is primarily yellow ochre and burnt umber, lightened with titanium white.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Failing to capture the subtle value changes that create form.
- →Ignoring the reflected light in the shadows.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
- ·oil paints: yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue
- ·palette
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·linseed oil or other painting medium
- ·palette knife
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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