plate no. 7774
Breton beggar
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and capturing form with minimal detail. It also provides practice in using a limited color palette to create a sense of atmosphere.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and their placement on the canvas.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of diluted paint.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the figures, focusing on the overall value structure.
- step 04
Begin to refine the shapes and details of the figures, using loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 05
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 06
Pay attention to the edges of the forms, softening them in some areas and sharpening them in others.
- step 07
Add the details of the face and clothing, using small, precise brushstrokes.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to create a cohesive and harmonious painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre
secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black
Mix raw umber and white for the base tones. Use yellow ochre to warm up the highlights and burnt sienna for the shadows. Add small amounts of black to darken the shadows further.
techniques
- ·alla prima
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·broken color
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Getting bogged down in details too early in the process.
- →Using too many colors and creating a muddy or discordant effect.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·linseed oil
- ·round brushes (#2, #6, #8)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grit canvas for best results. Consider toning the canvas with a thin wash of raw umber before beginning.
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