plate no. 3867
Baby with blue cap
Rik Wouters, 1911
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and simplifying complex forms into basic shapes. It's a good exercise in capturing a likeness with minimal detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the baby's head, body, and hat.
- step 02
Block in the background with dark blues and greens using loose brushstrokes.
- step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the baby's face and body with broad strokes of color.
- step 04
Mix and apply the local colors for the hat, clothing, and skin, focusing on color relationships rather than precise detail.
- step 05
Add the darker accents to define the features and clothing folds.
- step 06
Introduce the red accents at the bottom of the painting.
- step 07
Refine the shapes and colors, paying attention to edges and transitions.
- step 08
Add final details like the eyes and pacifier.
color palette
primary · Prussian Blue · Titanium White · Cadmium Red Light · Yellow Ochre
secondary · Sap Green · Burnt Sienna
Mix various shades of blue by combining Prussian Blue and Titanium White. Create skin tones by mixing Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red Light, and Titanium White. Use Burnt Sienna to add warmth and shadows.
techniques
- ·Impasto
- ·Broken Color
- ·Color Mixing
- ·Expressive Brushwork
- ·Simplification of Form
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Getting bogged down in trying to achieve a perfect likeness.
- →Not paying attention to the color relationships and creating a muddy palette.
- →Making the background too distracting.
materials
surface · Stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
- ·Acrylic or Oil Paints
- ·Round brushes (#4, #8)
- ·Flat brush (#6)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless Mineral Spirits (for oil paints)
- ·Linseed Oil (for oil paints)
optional
- ·Painting medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·Easel
- ·Apron
Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the brushstrokes. Acrylics are a good option for beginners due to their fast drying time.
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