plate no. 5668

The Family

Bertalan Por, 1909

oilPost-Impressionismportraitfiguresportraitfamilyclothinginteriorpainting

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating a sense of depth through layering and atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in capturing individual likenesses and expressions.

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 and placement of the figures and background elements.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for each figure and the background, focusing on overall tones.
step 03
Begin refining the shapes and proportions of the faces and bodies.
step 04
Mix and apply a range of skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in light and shadow.
step 05
Add details to the clothing and background, such as folds, textures, and patterns.
step 06
Refine the facial features and expressions of each figure.
step 07
Adjust the overall color balance and value contrast to create a cohesive composition.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and titanium white, adding small amounts of cadmium red for warmth and ultramarine blue for cool shadows. Mix grays and browns by combining complementary colors like ultramarine blue and burnt umber.

techniques