plate no. 1009

Ravana Mourning the death of his son

oilExpressionismreligious paintingfigureportraitreligiousswordhandscrown

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive color mixing and simplification of complex forms. It also encourages exploration of emotional expression through visual elements.

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, focusing on proportions and the placement of key elements like the head, hands, and sword.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of ochre and brown, allowing for variations in tone.
step 03
Apply the base colors for the face (white), mustache (green), nose and forehead (red), and hair (black), using bold, simplified shapes.
step 04
Paint the blue garment, adding darker and lighter shades to create depth and dimension.
step 05
Render the hands with a mix of pinks and reds, paying attention to the simplified shapes of the fingers.
step 06
Add details to the sword, using purple and gold to create a sense of richness.
step 07
Refine the facial features, adding the eye, tear, and other details with careful brushstrokes.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the overall composition and emotional impact.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · yellow ochre

secondary · viridian green · ivory black · purple

Mix white with small amounts of red and blue to create the skin tones. Use green and black to create the mustache color. Mix blue and red to get the purple for the sword.

techniques

·blocking in
·expressive brushwork
·color mixing
·simplification of form
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing them to achieve the desired tones.
→Failing to capture the emotional intensity of the subject.