plate no. 9360

Maternal Tenderness

Mary Cassatt, 1908

pastelImpressionismgenre paintingfiguremotherchildportraitdomesticpastel

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in blending pastel colors to create soft transitions and capturing the nuances of skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting the human form and conveying emotion through gesture and expression.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures, paying attention to the overall composition.
step 02
Establish the background with broad strokes of pastel, blending blues and whites for a soft, hazy effect.
step 03
Begin layering colors on the figures, starting with the shadows and mid-tones. Use light pressure to build up the colors gradually.
step 04
Focus on capturing the subtle variations in skin tone, using pinks, yellows, and blues to create a sense of depth and realism.
step 05
Define the features of the faces, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth. Use sharp pastel pencils for finer details.
step 06
Add highlights to the figures and clothing to create a sense of light and form.
step 07
Refine the details of the clothing, using short, broken strokes to suggest texture and movement.
step 08
Blend the colors together with your fingers or a blending stump to create soft transitions and a harmonious overall effect.

color palette

primary · white · blue · pink · yellow

secondary · brown · gray · peach

Achieve skin tones by layering pink, yellow, and blue pastels. Mix white with blue for the background and clothing highlights. Use brown and gray for shadows and hair.

techniques

·pastel blending
·layering
·color mixing
·hatching
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, which can flatten the image and lose detail.
→Using too much pressure, which can make the colors appear harsh and unnatural.
→Neglecting the importance of shadows and highlights, which can make the figures appear flat and lifeless.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch, which can throw off the entire composition.