plate no. 2199
Child in Red Coat
Bertalan Por, 1930
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing likeness through simplified shapes and color blocks. It also provides practice in creating depth and form using value and color temperature.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and coat.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, hair, coat, and background.
- step 03
Establish the darkest and lightest values to create a sense of form.
- step 04
Refine the shapes and colors, paying attention to the planes of the face and the folds of the coat.
- step 05
Add details such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using bold brushstrokes.
- step 06
Adjust the overall color harmony and value contrast.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality.
- step 08
Allow to dry and varnish.
color palette
primary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ultramarine blue
Mix skin tones by combining yellow ochre, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use burnt umber and ivory black to create dark shadows and background tones. Mix ultramarine blue with burnt umber to create cooler darks.
techniques
- ·Blocking in
- ·Impasto
- ·Broken color
- ·Scumbling
- ·Color temperature variation
common pitfalls
- →Overblending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Not establishing a strong value structure.
- →Being too timid with the brushstrokes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas 12x16
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 8)
- ·Flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits or water (depending on paint type)
- ·Linseed oil (for oil paints)
optional
- ·Medium gloss
- ·Easel
- ·Apron
Use good quality paints for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to simplify the initial blocking-in stage.
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