plate no. 0738
Marian Anderson II
Horace Pippin, 1941
suitable for beginners
Students would develop fundamental portrait skills including facial proportions, skin tone mixing, and creating strong value contrast between subject and background.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
5
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the oval format and basic head proportions
- step 02
Map out the figure's pose and clothing shape
- step 03
Block in the warm brown background color
- step 04
Establish the basic skin tones and facial features
- step 05
Paint the white garment with careful attention to form and shadows
- step 06
Refine facial features and expression
- step 07
Add the dark hair with flowing brushstrokes
- step 08
Final adjustments to contrast and edges
color palette
primary · burnt sienna · titanium white · raw umber · ivory black
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue
Mix warm brown background with burnt sienna and raw umber; create skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of yellow ochre and cadmium red
techniques
- ·simple color blocking
- ·basic portraiture proportions
- ·value contrast development
- ·direct painting approach
- ·oval composition framing
common pitfalls
- →overcomplicating the simple color scheme
- →making facial features too detailed or realistic
- →losing the strong contrast between light clothing and dark background
- →struggling with the oval format composition
materials
surface · primed canvas board or stretched canvas in oval format
required
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#2 detail brush
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white
- ·raw umber
- ·ivory black
- ·yellow ochre
- ·cadmium red light
- ·oval canvas or board 16x12
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·paper towels
- ·odorless turpentine
The naive art style allows for some imperfections and directness in brushwork, making this approachable for intermediate beginners
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