plate no. 5955
Summer
Jose Higuera, 2015
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations in light and shadow, as well as practice rendering realistic skin tones and fabric folds with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a preliminary sketch outlining the composition and proportions of the figures.
- step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using a limited palette of blues, whites, and browns.
- step 03
Establish the light source and begin to build up the shadows and highlights on the figures and fabric.
- step 04
Mix a range of skin tones and apply them using short, directional brushstrokes.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, paying attention to the way the fabric drapes and folds.
- step 06
Add the hat and the purple cloth, focusing on capturing their textures and colors.
- step 07
Refine the background with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · raw umber
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · dioxazine purple
Mix various shades of blue and white to create the cool background and shadows. Use yellow ochre and cadmium yellow for the hat. Mix alizarin crimson and dioxazine purple for the purple cloth.
techniques
- ·color mixing
- ·layering
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overblending, which can result in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
- →Failing to capture the texture of the fabric.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·oil paints (ultramarine blue, titanium white, raw umber, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, dioxazine purple)
- ·palette
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
- ·palette knife
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·painting easel
- ·mahl stick
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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