plate no. 4669

Tatonnement de la conscience

Victor Brauner, 1956

oilSurrealismsymbolic paintingfigureportraitabstractgeometriceyesface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, geometric composition, and creating subtle tonal variations within defined shapes. It also encourages precision in line work and controlled brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic geometric shapes of the figure and background.
step 02
Divide the face area into a grid of squares.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color for the background stripes (red and black).
step 04
Begin filling in the squares on the face with the various colors, paying attention to the subtle shifts in hue and value.
step 05
Add the details of the eyes and mouth.
step 06
Paint the body area with its vertical stripes, blending the colors slightly.
step 07
Refine the edges of the shapes and add any final details.
step 08
Allow to dry and apply a varnish if desired.

color palette

primary · red · black · green · blue

secondary · yellow · purple · pink · brown

Achieve the subtle color variations by mixing primary colors with white or small amounts of complementary colors. For example, mix green with a touch of red to create muted greens.

techniques