plate no. 9074
Lunch
George Tooker, 1964
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in subtle color mixing, layering, and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective and value control. It also provides practice in rendering realistic skin tones and clothing folds.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and placement of the figures and the background elements.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure by blocking in the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes.
- step 03
Begin layering in the local colors, starting with the background and working forward.
- step 04
Carefully mix and apply the subtle variations in skin tones, paying attention to the light source.
- step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, hair, and facial features.
- step 06
Add the highlights and shadows to create a sense of form and volume.
- step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to unify the painting and create a sense of atmosphere.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve the desired effect.
color palette
primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · cadmium red light
Achieve the muted tones by mixing earth tones with white and small amounts of blue or red. Use thin glazes to build up color and create subtle variations.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·layering
- ·subtle color mixing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·value control
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Using too much paint, which can obscure the subtle details.
- →Ignoring the importance of value in creating form and depth.
- →Rushing the process and not allowing enough time for each layer to dry.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·small round brushes
- ·medium flat brushes
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·medium gloss
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Allow each layer to dry completely before applying the next.
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