plate no. 4095
Salome Guadalupe Ingelmo
Alejandro Cabeza, 2018
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportioning and capturing subtle variations in skin tone. It also provides practice in creating form using light and shadow with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, neck, and shoulders.
- step 02
Block in the background with a dark, muted green.
- step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face and neck using a limited palette of earth tones and white.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Add subtle color variations to the skin tones, using pinks, yellows, and blues.
- step 06
Develop the details of the clothing, using loose brushstrokes to suggest form and texture.
- step 07
Adjust the values and colors throughout the painting to create a sense of depth and realism.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to the face and hair.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · viridian
Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and alizarin crimson. Use ultramarine blue and viridian to create the muted greens for the background and clothing.
techniques
- ·alla prima
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·color temperature
- ·value study
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
- →Using colors that are too saturated or bright.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·oil paints (titanium white, raw umber, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, viridian)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·palette knife
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·painting easel
- ·mahl stick
A toned canvas (e.g., with a thin wash of raw umber) can be helpful for establishing values quickly.
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