plate no. 0588
Seated Old Man
Louay Kayyali, 1974
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create texture and rendering a figure in a seated pose with realistic proportions. It also offers practice in capturing subtle light and shadow.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, bucket, and background.
- step 02
Block in the main colors for each area: the skin tones, clothing, bucket, and background.
- step 03
Begin layering colors to build up the texture and form, using short, visible brushstrokes.
- step 04
Pay close attention to the subtle shifts in color and value to create depth and dimension.
- step 05
Add details to the face, hands, and bucket, refining the shapes and adding highlights and shadows.
- step 06
Work on the background, creating a textured effect with varying shades of yellow and brown.
- step 07
Refine the edges and contours of the figure and objects, making sure they are well-defined.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism and depth of the painting.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · raw sienna · olive green
secondary · titanium white · ivory black
Mix yellow ochre and burnt umber for the skin tones and clothing. Use white to lighten the colors and black to darken them. Mix olive green with yellow ochre and burnt umber to create variations in the clothing.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·color mixing
- ·rendering form
common pitfalls
- →Overblending the colors, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in color and value, leading to a lack of depth.
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
- →Not paying attention to the texture of the materials.
- →Using too much detail too early in the process.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·olive green oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·round brushes
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the visible brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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