plate no. 3110

Mona Lisa's Chair

oilSurrealismportraitportraitfigurelandscapecatmountainssurreal

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, blending techniques for skin tones, and understanding how to create depth and atmosphere in a landscape. It also encourages exploration of surrealist concepts and optical illusions.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure, cat, and landscape elements.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure by blocking in the dark and light areas.
step 03
Begin painting the background landscape, focusing on creating depth through atmospheric perspective.
step 04
Paint the figure's face, paying close attention to the subtle variations in skin tone and the placement of features.
step 05
Add the cat, focusing on capturing its fur texture and the way it interacts with the light.
step 06
Develop the details of the clothing and hands, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 07
Refine the overall composition, making adjustments to the values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add the surreal elements and optical illusions, such as the hidden faces in the landscape.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · sap green · burnt sienna

Achieve the skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white. Use sap green and raw umber for the darker greens in the landscape. Create atmospheric perspective by adding white to the background colors.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·atmospheric perspective
·optical illusion

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of unity.
→Failing to create a convincing sense of depth in the landscape.
→Struggling to capture the subtle variations in skin tone.
→Not fully integrating the surreal elements into the composition.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Acrylic or oil paints (yellow ochre, raw umber, ivory black, titanium white, sap green, burnt sienna)
·Round brushes (various sizes)
·Flat brushes (various sizes)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits or water (depending on paint type)
·Linseed oil or acrylic medium