plate no. 7041

Harold and Nina Krieger

Alice Neel, 1967

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigurescouchindoorfatherdaughter

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing likeness and expression with loose brushstrokes, as well as understanding color relationships in skin tones and clothing. It also encourages simplification of forms and confident mark-making.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and the couch.
step 02
Block in the background with thin washes of blue and white, leaving some areas unpainted.
step 03
Establish the main color areas for the skin tones, using a mix of warm and cool colors.
step 04
Paint the clothing with bold, simplified brushstrokes, focusing on the overall color and value.
step 05
Add details to the faces, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Refine the shapes and edges of the figures, using a variety of brushstrokes.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive and expressive result.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium red · dioxazine purple · viridian green

Mix skin tones with white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red or blue for cooler areas. Achieve the turquoise shirt color by mixing blue and green with white. Create the suit color by mixing burnt umber and white with a touch of blue.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·expressive brushwork
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Getting bogged down in precise realism and neglecting the overall expression.
→Using too much detail in the background, which can distract from the figures.
→Not paying enough attention to the color relationships between the different elements of the painting.