plate no. 9893

Compoisition surréaliste ou La main

oilSurrealismsymbolic paintinghandtreeportraitsurrealcheckerboardsky

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering realistic skin tones and creating a sense of depth through perspective and atmospheric perspective. It also introduces techniques for painting surreal and symbolic imagery.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the hand, tree, and portrait within the checkerboard space.
step 02
Establish the background colors, blending the sky and wall tones smoothly.
step 03
Block in the checkerboard floor, paying attention to the perspective and diminishing size of the squares.
step 04
Begin rendering the hand, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle value changes to create form.
step 05
Paint the tree, starting with the trunk and gradually adding the branches, varying their thickness and direction.
step 06
Render the portrait, paying close attention to the facial features and the surreal elements like the eye and flowing hair.
step 07
Add details and highlights to the hand, tree, and portrait to enhance realism and create visual interest.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed to achieve a cohesive and balanced image.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · viridian

Mix various shades of blue by combining cerulean blue and titanium white. Achieve skin tones by blending raw umber, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and white. Create the green of the distant landscape by mixing viridian with white and a touch of yellow.

techniques