plate no. 5102

Portrait of a Youth

Kazimir Malevich, 1933

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfigureyouthtorsohandsclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure on the canvas.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of muted tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, clothing, and hair, focusing on overall shapes.
step 04
Begin layering colors to build up the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in hue and value.
step 05
Define the details of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful brushstrokes.
step 06
Add the stripes on the clothing, varying the colors and widths to create visual interest.
step 07
Refine the details of the hands and arms, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · titanium white · cerulean blue · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black · sap green

Mix yellow ochre and white for the base skin tone, adding small amounts of red, blue, or green to create variations. Use black and blue to create the darker stripes, and red and black for the red stripes.

techniques

·color mixing
·layering
·dry brush
·scumbling
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Making the colors too bright or saturated.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in value and hue.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (yellow ochre, titanium white, cerulean blue, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, ivory black, sap green)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags