plate no. 5250
Jeune figue posant pour Leonard de Vinci
Felix Labisse, 1946
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering smooth skin tones and creating a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere through color and composition. It also provides practice in depicting drapery and atmospheric perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure and window.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the background drapery, the skin tones, the sea and sky.
- step 03
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying close attention to subtle shifts in value and color.
- step 04
Add details to the figure, such as the facial features (or lack thereof) and the textures within the 'head'.
- step 05
Refine the drapery, adding folds and shadows to create depth.
- step 06
Paint the window and the surreal object in the sky, focusing on atmospheric perspective.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism and surreal effect.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the colors and create a cohesive look.
color palette
primary · titanium white · cadmium red · viridian green · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt umber
Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of red, yellow ochre, and burnt umber. Create the green head by mixing viridian green with white and a touch of yellow. The red drapery is a mix of cadmium red with a touch of burnt umber for shadows.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy appearance.
- →Failing to create a smooth transition between colors.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in value that define the form.
- →Getting lost in details before establishing the overall composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·retouch varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A medium-sized canvas (e.g., 16x20 inches) is recommended.
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