plate no. 4799

Girls with guitars

oilPost-Impressionismgenre paintingfiguresguitarportraitsclothingmusic

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, capturing likeness and expression, and using a limited palette to create tonal variations. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and the guitar.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color using thin washes of paint.
step 03
Establish the darkest values, focusing on the shadows in the clothing and hair.
step 04
Build up the mid-tones, blending the colors softly to create smooth transitions.
step 05
Add highlights to the faces, hands, and guitar to create depth and dimension.
step 06
Refine the details of the faces, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add texture to the clothing and guitar using dry brush techniques.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and harmonious painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white

Mix raw umber and ivory black for the darker tones. Use burnt sienna and yellow ochre for the guitar. Add titanium white to lighten the colors and create highlights.

techniques

·dry brush
·blending
·scumbling
·tonal painting
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality of the original painting.
→Using too much paint and creating a muddy effect.
→Failing to capture the likeness and expression of the figures.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating depth and dimension.