plate no. 7912
Portrait of Arman Frantsevich Aziber and his son
Pavel Filonov, 1915
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones and clothing folds. It also provides practice in creating depth through subtle value changes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the main figures and their proportions.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of color.
- step 03
Establish the main value ranges for the father's clothing and the child's outfit.
- step 04
Begin layering skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
- step 05
Refine the details of the faces, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 06
Add details to the clothing, including folds, buttons, and textures.
- step 07
Paint the chair and the rug, simplifying the patterns.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · yellow ochre
Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt sienna. Achieve darker tones by adding ivory black or raw umber. Use ultramarine blue and white for the child's blue outfit.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·value studies
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subjects.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium like linseed oil to improve the flow of the paint.
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