plate no. 7347
Kansas Pastoral: Planter's Family
John Steuart Curry, 1942
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure painting, particularly rendering skin tones and drapery, and in creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figures and the house.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color, starting with the sky and the background.
- step 03
Establish the light and shadow patterns on the figures and the house.
- step 04
Refine the details of the figures, paying attention to the anatomy and the facial expressions.
- step 05
Add details to the house and the surrounding landscape.
- step 06
Paint the animals, focusing on their form and texture.
- step 07
Blend and refine the colors to create a sense of harmony.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson
Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, cadmium red, and titanium white. Create atmospheric perspective by adding blue to distant colors.
techniques
- ·figure drawing
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·rendering drapery
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early.
- →Failing to establish a clear light source.
- →Incorrect proportions of the figures.
- →Muddying the colors by over-mixing.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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