plate no. 0392

Family on the Barricades, 1848

oil, woodRealismportraitfiguresportraitsfamilyhistoricalclothingfaces

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and expressing emotion through subtle value changes. It also provides practice in creating a unified color scheme and atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the main figures and their relative positions.
step 02
Block in the background with a muted grey-brown tone, establishing the overall mood.
step 03
Begin painting the faces, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle value shifts to create form.
step 04
Add the clothing, using slightly more saturated colors but maintaining the overall muted palette.
step 05
Develop the details of the faces, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in tone to create depth.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality of the figures.
step 08
Glaze with thin washes to unify the color palette and create a sense of atmosphere.

color palette

primary · grey · brown · red · white

secondary · blue · ochre

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors (e.g., red and green, blue and orange) with white. Use raw umber and burnt sienna as base colors for the skin tones and clothing.

techniques