plate no. 0583

César Moro

Carlos Quizpez Asín, 1937

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanhairfaceclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating subtle value changes to define form. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and conveying a specific mood.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, neck, and shoulders.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted grays and browns.
step 03
Block in the main areas of skin tone with a base color, paying attention to the overall warmth.
step 04
Begin layering in shadows and highlights to define the planes of the face, using subtle color variations.
step 05
Paint the hair, focusing on the direction of the curls and the play of light.
step 06
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, being careful to capture the likeness.
step 07
Paint the clothing, using a limited palette of browns and creams.
step 08
Refine the edges and details, making sure the overall painting is cohesive.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · raw umber · cadmium red light · viridian

Mix skin tones by combining yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and titanium white in varying proportions. Use small amounts of cadmium red light for warmth and raw umber for shadows. Viridian is used sparingly for the eyes and subtle cool tones.

techniques

·color mixing
·layering
·blending
·portraiture
·value studies

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Ignoring the subtle value changes that define form.
→Getting the proportions wrong, leading to an inaccurate likeness.
→Being too heavy-handed with the brushstrokes.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, titanium white, raw umber, cadmium red light, viridian)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife