plate no. 4674

Starość I Młodość

Teodor Axentowicz, 1900

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)symbolic paintingfigureportraitold manyoung womansymbolicghostly

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly rendering age and ethereal figures, and in creating a moody atmosphere through blended pastel techniques.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and placement of the old man and young woman.
step 02
Establish the background with broad strokes of muted browns and grays.
step 03
Begin layering the old man's face, focusing on the wrinkles and shadows to define his age.
step 04
Add the white of the beard, using short, broken strokes to create texture.
step 05
Lightly sketch in the young woman's features, keeping her form soft and ethereal.
step 06
Use lighter, brighter pastels for the young woman's face to contrast with the old man.
step 07
Blend the edges of the figures into the background to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to both figures, adjusting values as needed.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · ivory black · titanium white · raw sienna

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · sap green

Mix browns and grays by combining umber, black, and white. Use small amounts of red and yellow to warm the skin tones. Achieve the ethereal quality by lightly layering and blending colors.

techniques

·pastel blending
·layering
·scumbling
·portraiture
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the pastels, leading to a muddy appearance.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Making the young woman too solid and not ethereal enough.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · pastel paper

required

·soft pastels (various browns, grays, whites, reds, yellows)
·pastel paper (toned gray or brown)
·kneaded eraser
·fixative spray
·blending stumps
·paper towels

optional

·pastel pencils
·workable fixative

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly rough texture to grip the pastel. Use a light hand when applying the pastels to avoid filling the tooth of the paper too quickly.

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