plate no. 9260
Three Ladies on the Terrace
Victor Borisov-Musatov, 1903
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand color relationships and how to build form with broken color. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a landscape setting.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and figures, paying attention to proportions and placement.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color, focusing on the overall value structure.
- step 03
Begin to add details to the figures, such as facial features and folds in the dresses.
- step 04
Develop the background landscape, using broken color to create texture and depth.
- step 05
Refine the details of the terrace and railing.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create form and dimension.
- step 07
Adjust colors and values as needed to achieve a harmonious composition.
- step 08
Add final touches and details.
color palette
primary · white · purple · blue · green
secondary · yellow · brown · pink
Mix various shades of purple by combining blue and red with white. Achieve the greens by mixing blue and yellow, and add brown or white to create muted tones.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·color mixing
- ·figure drawing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Ignoring the overall harmony of the composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
- ·Tempera paints (white, purple, blue, green, yellow, brown, red)
- ·Round brushes (various sizes)
- ·Flat brushes (various sizes)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Water container
- ·Rags
optional
- ·Medium for tempera
- ·Easel
- ·Reference image print
Tempera paint dries quickly, so work in small sections. Consider using a retarder to slow the drying time.
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