plate no. 7042

In Mood

Huang Yongyu, 2005

oilExpressionismself-portraitfigureself-portraitartistpaint bowlscalligraphy

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop their understanding of figure drawing, particularly capturing expressive poses and gestures. It also provides practice in simplified color palettes and bold outlining.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the figure's pose and proportions.
step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to the details of the face, hands, and clothing folds.
step 03
Outline the entire drawing with a thin brush and dark ink or paint.
step 04
Apply the base skin tone to the figure, leaving areas for highlights and shadows.
step 05
Add shadows and highlights to the skin, using slightly darker and lighter shades of the base color.
step 06
Paint the clothing with black, creating folds and depth with varying tones of gray.
step 07
Fill in the paint bowls with the appropriate colors, adding simple highlights.
step 08
Add the calligraphy and seals using red and black ink.

color palette

primary · tan · black · white

secondary · red · yellow · blue

The skin tone can be achieved by mixing tan with small amounts of red and yellow. Varying the amounts will create highlights and shadows. Black can be lightened with white to create grays for shading the clothing.

techniques