plate no. 7234
Girl from Village
Robert Brackman, 1960
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective in the background.
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, basket, and background.
- step 02
Establish the main light source and shadow areas.
- step 03
Block in the background with dark, muted tones, suggesting the sea and sky.
- step 04
Begin layering in the skin tones, starting with mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and textures.
- step 06
Add details to the basket and fruit, focusing on their forms and colors.
- step 07
Refine the facial features, capturing the likeness of the subject.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow light · burnt sienna
Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow, and a touch of blue or umber. Achieve the muted background colors by mixing blue, umber, and white.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·cadmium yellow light oil paint
- ·round brushes sizes 2, 4, 6
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
Use a medium-grit canvas for better paint adhesion. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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