plate no. 2135

Portrait of the Artist's Brother, Jean

Émilie Charmy, 1904

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanhatbookclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing a likeness with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying forms and focusing on essential details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, hat, and book, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of green, allowing some canvas to show through.
step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a mix of warm and cool colors, focusing on the light and shadow areas.
step 04
Paint the clothing with broad strokes, using darker shades of brown and green.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small, precise brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the book with white and brown, suggesting the pages and spine.
step 07
Refine the details of the hat, adding highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to the entire painting, adjusting values and colors as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · sap green

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. Mix greens by combining sap green with yellow ochre or ultramarine blue.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·dry brushing
·color mixing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Using colors that are too saturated or unnatural.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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