plate no. 6175

Sailor

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanfacetorsoframe

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing likeness through simplified forms. It also provides practice in mixing skin tones and creating depth with color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the figure and the frame.
step 02
Block in the background with a dark blue, varying the tone slightly.
step 03
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face and body with thin washes of color.
step 04
Begin building up the skin tones with thicker paint, using short, directional brushstrokes.
step 05
Add details to the face, focusing on capturing the expression.
step 06
Define the frame with bold strokes of red paint.
step 07
Refine the edges and add highlights to create depth.
step 08
Add the text at the bottom.

color palette

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

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna

Mix skin tones by combining white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of burnt umber. Use ultramarine blue and white for the background, adding small amounts of burnt umber to darken the tone.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·directional brushstrokes
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Making the background too uniform.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·acrylic or oil paints
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil or acrylic medium
·mineral spirits or water (depending on paint type)

optional

·painting medium
·varnish
·easel

Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the visibility of the brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.

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