plate no. 2931

Grandmother and granddaughter

oil, canvasRealismgenre paintingfiguresgrandmotherchildwinterlandscapeclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in painting figures in a muted palette and capturing reflections in water. It also provides practice in creating atmospheric perspective and depicting realistic textures.

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.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted grays and browns for the sky and distant landscape.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figures with dark, neutral tones, paying attention to the folds and drapery of their clothing.
step 04
Start building up the values on the figures, adding highlights and shadows to create form.
step 05
Paint the reflections in the water, using horizontal brushstrokes and slightly desaturated colors.
step 06
Add details to the faces, focusing on capturing the expressions and features of the grandmother and granddaughter.
step 07
Refine the textures of the clothing and surrounding environment, using dry brush techniques and subtle color variations.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and atmospheric painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with each other and adding white to create subtle variations. Use burnt sienna and cadmium red light sparingly for the accents in the clothing.

techniques

·grisaille underpainting
·wet-on-dry blending
·dry brush texture
·atmospheric perspective
·glazing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details too early
→Creating too much contrast in the figures
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the reflections
→Not establishing a clear focal point

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (raw umber, ivory black, titanium white, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, cadmium red light)
·round brushes (#2, #4, #6)
·flat brushes (#6, #8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits