plate no. 6875
Prayer in Church
Gerard Sekoto, 1947
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting figures in a crowd and understanding how to use a limited palette to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. It also offers practice in capturing the nuances of light and shadow on various forms.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement and proportions of the figures and architectural elements.
- step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by applying a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar earth tone to the entire canvas.
- step 03
Block in the large shapes of the figures and background using simplified color masses.
- step 04
Begin refining the forms of the figures, paying attention to the subtle shifts in value and color.
- step 05
Develop the details of the faces and clothing, using smaller brushstrokes and more precise color mixing.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the background details, such as the windows and religious symbols.
- step 08
Add final touches and glazes to unify the painting and enhance the overall atmosphere.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · ivory black · titanium white · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light
Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with each other and with white. Use small amounts of blue and red to create subtle variations in the browns and grays.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Using colors that are too saturated or bright.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in color temperature.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a medium texture to allow for the dry brush technique. Consider using a toned canvas to speed up the painting process.
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