plate no. 6694
Morning Glory
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone blending, as well as creating a soft, atmospheric background.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, flowers, and background.
- step 02
Establish the overall color scheme with a thin wash of color.
- step 03
Begin layering in the mid-tones of the skin, dress, and foliage.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, paying attention to subtle value changes.
- step 05
Add details to the flowers, capturing their unique shapes and colors.
- step 06
Develop the background foliage with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · titanium white · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green · raw umber
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, crimson, and yellow ochre, with small amounts of blue and umber for shadows. Mix greens by combining blue and yellow, and purples by combining crimson and blue.
techniques
- ·portrait painting
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Incorrect proportions of the facial features.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
- →Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·alizarin crimson oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
Use a medium-grain canvas to allow for subtle blending. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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