plate no. 5499
The Young Farmhand
Henry Herbert La Thangue, 1885
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective in the background.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, hat, and background.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber.
- step 03
Block in the main colors of the skin, hat, shirt, and background.
- step 04
Refine the skin tones with subtle color variations and soft blending.
- step 05
Add details to the hat, capturing its texture and form.
- step 06
Develop the background, paying attention to atmospheric perspective.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the overall composition.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red. Achieve the greens of the field by mixing yellow ochre and ultramarine blue.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overblending skin tones resulting in a flat appearance
- →Ignoring subtle color variations in the face
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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