plate no. 5979

Gurgen Mahari's portrait

Panos Terlemezian, 1932

pastel, paperSymbolismportraitportraitfiguremanbooksflowerstill life

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing with pastels, and creating soft, blended effects. It also provides practice in capturing subtle variations in skin tone and texture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the portrait, paying attention to proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, background, clothing, and still life elements.
step 03
Begin layering pastels, starting with the darker values and gradually adding lighter tones.
step 04
Focus on blending the colors smoothly to create soft transitions and avoid harsh lines.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small, precise strokes.
step 06
Develop the texture of the hair and clothing by layering different colors and using hatching techniques.
step 07
Refine the background and still life elements, adding subtle variations in color and value.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form and create depth.

color palette

primary · flesh tones (various pinks, browns, yellows) · light blue · dark brown

secondary · light green · white · pink

Achieve flesh tones by mixing pinks, browns, yellows, and a touch of blue. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix blue and green for the background.

techniques

·pastel blending
·layering
·hatching
·scumbling
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, which can result in a muddy or flat appearance.
→Using too much pressure, which can make the pastels difficult to blend.
→Neglecting the importance of value contrast, which can make the portrait look lifeless.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color, which can make the portrait look unrealistic.