plate no. 9806
The Barefoot Boy
Eastman Johnson, 1860
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly rendering realistic skin tones and clothing folds, as well as landscape painting with soft, blended backgrounds.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure and major landscape elements.
- step 02
Block in the main color areas: sky, foliage, figure's clothing, and ground.
- step 03
Start refining the background landscape, blending colors to create atmospheric perspective.
- step 04
Begin working on the figure, focusing on the face and hands, paying attention to light and shadow.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, rendering folds and textures.
- step 06
Add details to the foreground, including the rocks and water.
- step 07
Refine the foliage, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to the entire painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · cadmium yellow
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt sienna. Create greens by mixing yellow and blue, adjusting the ratio for different shades. Use raw umber and white for the rocks and shadows.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Ignoring the importance of atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·cadmium yellow oil paint
- ·assorted round and flat brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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