plate no. 0748

Glad Day or The Dance of Albion

watercolor, engravingSymbolismsymbolic paintingfigurenudelightdarknesssymboliclandscape

some experience helpful

This painting is a good exercise in figure drawing, light and shadow, and creating a sense of depth. Students will learn about color mixing to achieve skin tones and how to blend colors to create a soft, ethereal effect.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic figure pose and the surrounding light shape.
step 02
Establish the dark background areas with a thin wash of dark color.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the figure using a limited palette of skin tones.
step 04
Begin layering colors to build up the form and create subtle transitions.
step 05
Define the edges of the figure and the light shape with darker values.
step 06
Add details to the face and hands.
step 07
Refine the background and add any final touches.
step 08
Glaze with thin washes to unify the colors and create a sense of atmosphere.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white. Use alizarin crimson for blush tones. Achieve darks by mixing ivory black and ultramarine blue.

techniques