plate no. 6898

Portrait of Katarine Saryan

Martiros Sarian, 1963

oil, canvasExpressionismportraitportraitfigurestill lifefruitmaskjar

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, particularly for skin tones and creating depth through layering. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and creating a sense of atmosphere.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition, paying attention to the placement of the figure, fruit, and other objects.
step 02
Establish the background colors and values, working from dark to light.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the figure, focusing on the overall skin tone and shadows.
step 04
Begin adding details to the face, refining the features and capturing the likeness.
step 05
Paint the fruit and other still life elements, paying attention to their colors and textures.
step 06
Develop the details of the mask and jar, focusing on their forms and highlights.
step 07
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · viridian

Mix skin tones using alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, and titanium white. Use burnt sienna and yellow ochre to create warm browns for the jar and background. Mix greens by combining cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue.

techniques

·color mixing
·layering
·blending
·alla prima
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Getting bogged down in details too early.
→Ignoring the overall composition and color harmony.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, titanium white, burnt sienna, yellow ochre)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits