plate no. 1989

Estudio de joven

Andres de Santa Maria, 1942

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfigurepersonhairclothingbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impasto application and color mixing to achieve subtle skin tones and textured surfaces. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness with loose, expressive brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure on the canvas.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar earth tone to establish the overall value structure.
step 03
Begin building up the background with short, broken strokes of green and other complementary colors.
step 04
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red, applying them with thick impasto.
step 05
Define the features of the face with darker values and careful placement of highlights.
step 06
Paint the clothing with bold strokes of yellow, orange, and purple, capturing the folds and shadows.
step 07
Add final details and highlights to the hair and face to enhance the sense of realism.
step 08
Allow the painting to dry completely and then apply a varnish to protect the surface.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · titanium white · viridian green

secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use green and blue to create the background. Mixes of red and blue will create the purples in the clothing.

techniques

·impasto
·broken color
·scumbling
·alla prima
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure early on.
→Getting bogged down in details before establishing the overall composition.
→Using too much medium, which can cause the paint to become slippery and difficult to control.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, titanium white, viridian green, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, burnt umber)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags