plate no. 7451
Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife Giovanna Cenami (The Arnolfini Marriage) (detail)
Jan van Eyck, 1434
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle color blending for skin tones. It also offers practice in rendering realistic textures, such as fabric and fur.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of color: skin, clothing, and background.
- step 03
Begin layering the skin tones, paying close attention to subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Work on the clothing, building up the colors and adding details like folds and textures.
- step 05
Render the background drapery, focusing on the play of light and shadow.
- step 06
Add details such as the jewelry, lace, and fur trim.
- step 07
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and colors as needed.
- step 08
Apply a final glaze to unify the painting and enhance the colors.
color palette
primary · ivory black · yellow ochre · vermilion · viridian
secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · titanium white
Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, vermilion, and white, with small amounts of raw umber for shadows. Mix viridian and ivory black for the green dress. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black for the sleeves.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth and volume.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·assorted brushes (small round, small flat)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Prepare the canvas with gesso before painting.
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