plate no. 0210
Madame Rivière (after Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres)
Matthew Smith, 1913
some experience helpful
This painting provides practice in color mixing to achieve nuanced skin tones and fabric folds, as well as capturing the essence of a portrait through simplified forms and expressive brushwork. Students will also learn to create a sense of depth and form using color temperature and value.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic oval shape and the figure's pose, focusing on proportions.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color: red background, blue chair, and yellow dress.
- step 03
Begin to refine the shapes of the figure, paying attention to the contours and folds of the fabric.
- step 04
Mix and apply skin tones, using variations of yellow, pink, and brown.
- step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 06
Develop the details of the dress and fabric, using a variety of brushstrokes to create texture and depth.
- step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
- step 08
Add highlights and shadows to enhance the form and create a sense of depth.
color palette
primary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · titanium white
secondary · burnt sienna · viridian · alizarin crimson
Mix various shades of yellow with white and a touch of blue to create the highlights and shadows in the dress. Use red and blue to create the purplish hues in the shadows. Mix red and yellow for the skin tones, adding white for highlights and a touch of blue for shadows.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·color temperature
- ·expressive brushwork
- ·simplified forms
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Ignoring the importance of color temperature in creating depth and form.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·#6 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·odorless mineral spirits (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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