plate no. 2042

Gitanas

José Santiago Garnelo y Alda, 1930

oilNaturalismportraitfiguresportraitsguitarclothingindoorwomen

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating form with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing the folds and textures of fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement and proportions of the figures and the guitar.
step 02
Establish the main light source and block in the large shapes of color and value.
step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, mixing a range of warm and cool colors.
step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 05
Add details to the faces, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Paint the guitar, capturing its shape and texture.
step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
step 08
Varnish the painting when dry to protect the surface.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones using yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the skin tones in shadows. Achieve the yellow fabric by mixing yellow ochre with a touch of white and cadmium red.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color mixing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Getting the proportions of the figures incorrect.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the clothing.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subjects.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, raw sienna, alizarin crimson)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags