plate no. 3757
Salome
Franz Stuck, 1906
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure painting, creating atmospheric perspective, and using a limited color palette to create a cohesive mood. It also offers practice in rendering light and shadow on skin and fabric.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, paying attention to the placement of the figure and the head.
- step 02
Establish the dark background with a mix of dark blues and blacks, adding small dots for stars.
- step 03
Block in the figure's skin tones with a base of light yellow and white, gradually adding shadows with greens and browns.
- step 04
Paint the green drapery, focusing on the folds and highlights to create depth.
- step 05
Render the head on the platter with a glowing effect, using light blues and whites.
- step 06
Add details to the figure's jewelry and hair.
- step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
- step 08
Consider adding a glaze to unify the colors.
color palette
primary · ivory black · yellow ochre · viridian
secondary · burnt umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue
Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and viridian. Use white to lighten skin tones and create highlights. Achieve the dark background by mixing black and ultramarine blue.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·figure drawing
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
- →Making the background too uniform and lacking depth.
- →Failing to capture the luminosity of the head on the platter.
- →Incorrect proportions of the figure.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·viridian oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·retouch varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a glazing medium to enhance the luminosity of the colors.
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