plate no. 7295

The Socks Seller

Louay Kayyali, 1973

oilExpressionismgenre paintingfiguresocksboxportraitclothingseller

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing to achieve muted tones, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in depicting realistic proportions and rendering clothing folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, socks, and box.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of yellow.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the figure's clothing and skin tones, focusing on the overall values.
step 04
Begin adding details to the face, paying attention to the subtle shifts in value and color.
step 05
Develop the texture of the clothing and background with short, visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the shapes and details of the socks and box.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive and harmonious painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · Prussian blue

secondary · raw sienna · titanium white

Mix yellow ochre with small amounts of burnt umber and Prussian blue to create the muted greens and browns. Use white to lighten the colors and create highlights.

techniques