plate no. 5970

Reaper

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfigurewheatheadwearscytheclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering skin tones and subtle gradations of light and shadow. It also provides practice in depicting textures, such as the wheat and fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the proportions of the figure and the placement of the headwear and wheat.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of ochre and umber.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, paying attention to the overall values.
step 04
Begin layering the skin tones, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the headwear, carefully rendering the folds and textures.
step 06
Paint the wheat, using short, broken brushstrokes to create the texture of the grain.
step 07
Add details to the clothing and scythe, paying attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting the values and colors as needed to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create the darker tones in the scythe and clothing. Add small amounts of alizarin crimson to warm up the reds in the headwear.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Overblending skin tones, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure early on.
→Getting lost in the details before establishing the overall composition.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing them.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, raw sienna, alizarin crimson)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife