plate no. 5890

Tête de femme sur fond de rosaces

Boleslas Biegas, 1918

oilSymbolismportraitportraitwomangeometric shapesfaceheadsymbolic

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in geometric abstraction and color harmony within a limited palette. It also provides practice in creating a focal point within a complex composition.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the face and the surrounding circles.
step 02
Divide each circle into smaller segments as seen in the original.
step 03
Underpaint the face with a neutral tone, establishing basic shadows and highlights.
step 04
Begin filling in the geometric shapes with the dominant colors, working from the center outwards.
step 05
Mix and apply secondary colors to create variation and depth.
step 06
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the expression.
step 07
Add details to the geometric patterns, such as subtle color variations within each segment.
step 08
Apply final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired harmony.

color palette

primary · ochre · burnt umber · cerulean blue · cadmium red

secondary · sap green · violet · yellow ochre

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and adding white or raw umber. Use thin glazes to build up color depth.

techniques

·geometric abstraction
·color blocking
·glazing
·dry brushing
·limited palette

common pitfalls

→Overcomplicating the color palette.
→Losing the underlying structure of the face.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Ignoring the subtle value shifts within each shape.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (ochre, burnt umber, cerulean blue, cadmium red, sap green, violet, yellow ochre, titanium white)
·round brushes (various sizes)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·rags
·pencil