plate no. 2844

Les Ecorchés: Tête d'écorché

Bernard Buffet, 1964

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfacefigureexpressionismredyellow

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and creating a portrait with limited color palette. It also encourages experimentation with texture and stylized representation.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic head shape and facial features with light pencil lines.
step 02
Apply a base layer of yellow paint to the background, using textured brushstrokes.
step 03
Mix a dark red color for the face and begin blocking in the main shapes.
step 04
Use a lighter red to add highlights and define facial features like the nose and cheekbones.
step 05
Add black lines to accentuate the contours and create a sense of depth.
step 06
Pay attention to the direction of the brushstrokes to convey the texture of the skin.
step 07
Add details to the eyes, making them expressive and intense.
step 08
Refine the background by adding darker yellows and browns to create contrast.

color palette

primary · cadmium yellow · cadmium red · black

secondary · burnt umber

Mix different shades of red by adding black or white. Create a warm yellow by adding a touch of red to the cadmium yellow. Use burnt umber to darken the background and add depth.

techniques

·dry brushing
·scumbling
·hatching
·expressive linework
·limited palette

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality.
→Making the colors too uniform and lacking contrast.
→Not paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·acrylic or oil paints
·round brushes (various sizes)
·flat brushes (various sizes)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning)

optional

·painting medium
·varnish

Use a textured canvas to enhance the expressive quality of the painting. Experiment with different brush sizes and techniques to create a variety of textures.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

chat about this artwork

in this vein