plate no. 8024
The Portrait of My Wife
Istvan Ilosvai Varga, 1941
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing likeness with loose brushstrokes and understanding color relationships in a limited palette. It also offers practice in simplifying forms and creating a sense of depth through tonal variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, cup, orange, and box.
- step 02
Establish the background tones using a thin wash of neutral colors.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the figure, clothing, and still life elements.
- step 04
Begin to refine the shapes and forms with thicker paint and visible brushstrokes.
- step 05
Pay attention to the light and shadow on the figure's face and hands.
- step 06
Add details to the cup, orange, and box, focusing on their texture and form.
- step 07
Adjust the overall color harmony and value contrast to create a cohesive composition.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth and form.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · cadmium orange · viridian green · ivory black
Mix various shades of skin tones using yellow ochre, burnt umber, and white. Achieve the green by mixing viridian green with yellow ochre. Use burnt umber and black to create the dark accents.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·scumbling
- ·color mixing
- ·alla prima
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·cadmium orange oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#6 round brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the visibility of the brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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