plate no. 5411

Maternity

oil, plywoodRealismgenre paintingfiguremotherchildportraitdomesticfamily

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing form with limited color variations. It also provides practice in depicting skin tones and drapery using broken color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and proportions of the figures.
step 02
Establish the background with broad strokes of muted browns and greens.
step 03
Block in the main skin tones using a mix of white, ochre, and a touch of red.
step 04
Define the shadows on the figures with darker mixtures of browns and blues.
step 05
Add highlights to the figures' faces and clothing with thicker paint and lighter tones.
step 06
Use short, directional brushstrokes to suggest the folds and textures of the clothing.
step 07
Refine the facial features and details, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · raw umber

secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue · sap green

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, ochre, and a touch of red. Shadows are created by adding umber and blue to the skin tone mixture. Greens are muted by adding umber or red.

techniques