plate no. 9966
Portrait of Marc Chagall
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand how to simplify complex forms into geometric shapes and practice using a limited color palette to create a cohesive portrait. It also encourages experimentation with light and shadow to define form within a cubist style.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the face, hair, and clothing, focusing on geometric simplification.
- step 02
Divide the face into planes using straight lines to define areas of light and shadow.
- step 03
Block in the background with a light gray wash, creating subtle radial gradients.
- step 04
Apply the base colors for the skin tones, hair, and clothing, keeping the colors muted and desaturated.
- step 05
Add shadows to the face and clothing using darker shades of gray and brown, following the planes you defined earlier.
- step 06
Paint the plaid shirt, carefully creating the pattern with thin lines and alternating colors.
- step 07
Refine the details of the eyes, mouth, and hair, adding highlights and subtle variations in color.
- step 08
Outline key shapes with thin dark lines to enhance the cubist effect.
color palette
primary · gray · yellow ochre · burnt umber
secondary · white · red oxide
Mix various shades of gray by combining white and burnt umber. Achieve the skin tones by mixing gray with a touch of yellow ochre and red oxide. The yellow jacket is primarily yellow ochre, lightened with white.
techniques
- ·geometric simplification
- ·planar shading
- ·limited palette
- ·dry brushing
- ·linear outlining
common pitfalls
- →Overcomplicating the shapes
- →Using too many colors
- →Ignoring the light source
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing
- →Not defining the planes clearly enough
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·graphite pencil
- ·white acrylic paint
- ·yellow ochre acrylic paint
- ·burnt umber acrylic paint
- ·red oxide acrylic paint
- ·various sized brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·ruler
- ·medium gloss
Use acrylic paints for faster drying time. A canvas with a smooth surface will be easier to work with for the geometric shapes.
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