plate no. 1376
Fan
Kaoru Kawano, 1960
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color blocking, creating textures with dry brush techniques, and understanding simplified portraiture. It also introduces the concept of woodblock printmaking through a painting medium.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, fan, and background.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the skin, hair, kimono, fan, and background.
- step 03
Add texture to the background using a dry brush technique with gray and white.
- step 04
Create the fan's details with dark brown and light beige, focusing on geometric shapes.
- step 05
Define the hair with solid black, ensuring clean edges.
- step 06
Add the small details of the face, such as the eyes and mouth.
- step 07
Refine the edges and shapes to match the original painting.
- step 08
Add final touches like the red stamp in the upper left corner.
color palette
primary · black · brown · beige · gray
secondary · white · purple · red
Mix different shades of brown by combining burnt umber, raw sienna, and white. Achieve the gray background by mixing black and white, and adding a touch of brown for warmth.
techniques
- ·color blocking
- ·dry brush texture
- ·simplified portraiture
- ·geometric shapes
- ·clean edges
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the textures in the background.
- →Making the hair too shiny or detailed.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Using too many colors and losing the simplicity of the original.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Canvas or painting panel
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Flat brushes (various sizes)
- ·Black paint
- ·Brown paint
- ·Beige paint
- ·Gray paint
- ·White paint
optional
- ·Palette knife
- ·Medium for blending
- ·Ruler
Using matte acrylics can help replicate the flat, graphic quality of the original woodblock print.
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