plate no. 1490
Daughter and Mother
John Currin, 1997
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones with subtle color variations. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and floral details.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and flowers onto the canvas.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of paint.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin tones, clothing, and flowers.
- step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
- step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, including the folds and textures.
- step 06
Paint the flowers, focusing on capturing their delicate forms and colors.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the composition and details.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre · cadmium yellow
secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · viridian
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, umber, ochre, and small amounts of crimson and blue. Mix greens for the flower stems by blending yellow and blue.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·rendering
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Inaccurate proportions of the figures.
- →Getting the skin tones wrong and not capturing the likeness.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin and clothing.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
- ·mahl stick
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paints and improve blending.
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