plate no. 7158

Motherhood

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismportraitfiguresportraitmotherchildinteriorfamily

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding how to create a harmonious color palette with muted tones.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and their relative positions, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Establish the background with dark, muted tones.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the mother's dress, using a mix of yellow and green.
step 04
Begin layering the skin tones of the figures, focusing on subtle variations in color and value.
step 05
Refine the details of the faces, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Add highlights to the dress and skin to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Blend the edges of the forms to create a soft, atmospheric effect.
step 08
Add final details, such as the hair and the window light.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and adding white or raw umber to dull the intensity. For skin tones, mix white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red or burnt sienna.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·blending
·color mixing
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall softness of the painting.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Failing to capture the correct proportions of the figures.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags