plate no. 0345

Madame Von Bodenhausen with her daughter Luli

Theo van Rysselberghe, 1910

oil, canvasPointillismportraitportraitfiguresdressflowersinteriormother and daughter

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color mixing for pointillism and how to build up an image using small dots of color. It will also improve their understanding of portraiture and depicting fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and composition onto the canvas.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color using thin washes.
step 03
Begin applying small dots of color, focusing on local color and highlights.
step 04
Build up layers of dots, allowing colors to mix optically.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of brushstrokes to create form.
step 06
Refine the details of the faces and clothing.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 08
Step back and adjust the overall color balance.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · alizarin crimson · viridian green · cadmium yellow

Mix various shades of blue and green for the dress and background. Use red and yellow to create skin tones, and add white for highlights. Mix greens and yellows for the flowers.

techniques

·pointillism
·optical mixing
·color layering
·portraiture
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Making the dots too large or uniform.
→Ignoring the underlying structure of the figures.
→Losing the overall color harmony.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Oil paints (ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, titanium white, alizarin crimson, viridian green, cadmium yellow)
·Round brushes (sizes 0, 2, 4)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags