plate no. 5686

Sister Parish

Aaron Shikler, 1995

oilNew Realismportraitportraitfiguredoginteriorfurnituredress

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as understanding subtle color variations to create depth and form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure and dog.
step 02
Establish the main light source and map out the areas of light and shadow.
step 03
Block in the background with broad strokes, paying attention to the overall tone.
step 04
Begin layering in the skin tones, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Paint the dress and furniture, focusing on the folds and textures.
step 06
Add details to the dog's fur, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes and mouth.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · ivory black · cadmium yellow light · alizarin crimson · viridian

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Use varying amounts of each color to create subtle variations in tone. Mix greens and browns for the background and dog.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·layering
·scumbling
·glazing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness of the paint.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, raw umber, burnt sienna, ivory black, alizarin crimson)
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette
·palette knife