plate no. 7774
Cygnus Olor
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in portraiture and depicting fabric.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, focusing on proportions and composition.
- step 02
Block in the background with loose, blended strokes of color.
- step 03
Establish the main skin tones with a base layer of color, paying attention to light and shadow.
- step 04
Begin adding details to the face, including eyes, nose, and mouth, using smaller brushstrokes.
- step 05
Paint the headdress, focusing on the shapes and highlights.
- step 06
Block in the robe with broad strokes, defining the major folds and patterns.
- step 07
Add the swan details to the robe, using white and light blue.
- step 08
Refine the details and add final touches, such as highlights and shadows.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson
secondary · viridian green · dioxazine purple · cadmium yellow light
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson, and a touch of blue or green for shadows. Achieve the blue-green background by mixing ultramarine blue, viridian green, and white.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·color mixing
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform and losing the sense of texture.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·alizarin crimson oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·flat brushes (various sizes)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paint and improve flow.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
related guides
in this vein
