plate no. 4120

Portrait of Oswald de Andrade

Tarsila do Amaral, 1922

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve realistic skin tones and practice layering brushstrokes to create texture and form. It also provides an opportunity to study portrait proportions and capture a likeness.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, suit, and background, using thin washes.
step 03
Begin layering colors to build up the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Define the features of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful brushstrokes.
step 05
Add details to the hair and clothing, using thicker paint and visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the background, blending colors and adding subtle variations.
step 07
Check the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green · ivory black

Mix yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of cadmium red for warm skin tones. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black for the hair. Create various shades of green by mixing viridian green with yellow ochre and white.

techniques

·color mixing
·layering
·dry brushing
·blending
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Ignoring the underlying structure of the face and creating a flat, lifeless portrait.
→Using too much paint and losing the texture of the canvas.
→Neglecting the background and making it compete with the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, viridian green, ivory black, titanium white)
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife