plate no. 1250

Breton Girl

Diego Rivera, 1910

oil, canvasSocial Realismportraitfigureportraitwomanclothinginteriorpitcher

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering form with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in depicting fabric textures and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and objects.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color, focusing on accurate value relationships.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing and background, using broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to enhance the form and create a sense of depth.
step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to unify the painting and create subtle color variations.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna

Achieve the skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create the darker values in the shadows. Mix raw sienna with white for highlights on the clothing.

techniques

·portraiture
·chiaroscuro
·broken color
·glazing
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of form.
→Failing to accurately capture the value relationships.
→Using colors that are too saturated.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, raw sienna)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags