plate no. 3507
Garlic Seller
Marianne Stokes, 1909
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding subtle color variations and layering techniques.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hand placement.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, clothing, and background.
- step 03
Begin to refine the skin tones, using subtle variations of pink, peach, and beige.
- step 04
Develop the details of the hair, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Paint the clothing, capturing the folds and textures.
- step 06
Add the garlic necklace, carefully rendering the shape and form of each bulb.
- step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · burnt sienna · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · alizarin crimson
Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and cadmium red. Use ultramarine blue and raw umber to create muted grays for the background.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·color layering
- ·blending
- ·rendering
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to capture the correct proportions of the figure.
- →Ignoring subtle variations in skin tone.
- →Overworking details too early in the process.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Acrylics will dry faster, while oils allow for more blending time.
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