plate no. 7004

Mother Combing the Hair of Her Child

oil, panelBaroquegenre paintingfiguresinteriormotherchildchairdomestic scene

some experience helpful

This painting offers practice in rendering realistic skin tones and depicting the fall of light in an interior setting. Students can develop skills in glazing and scumbling to achieve subtle tonal variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and the chair, paying attention to proportions and placement.
step 02
Establish the dark background with a thin wash of dark brown.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the mother's dress, the child's clothing, and the red cushion.
step 04
Begin layering the skin tones, starting with mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, focusing on the folds and textures.
step 06
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in tone to create depth.
step 07
Add the final details, such as the hair, the mother's cap, and the objects in the background.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers of color to unify the painting and enhance the tonal relationships.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · red ochre · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix browns and blacks for the dark areas, adding small amounts of blue or red to adjust the temperature. Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red ochre.

techniques