apprentice
artistsserieslearnchatartworkscommunity gallery
apprentice

deliberate practice for serious artists

aboutgalleryprivacyterms
built by reducibl.com
home·artworks·Tobacco seller
Tobacco seller by Niko Pirosmani

plate no. 6885

Tobacco seller

Niko Pirosmani

oil, tinNaïve Art (Primitivism)portraitportraitfiguremanhatpipetext
some experience helpful

This painting provides a good opportunity to practice simplified portraiture and capturing textures with visible brushstrokes. Students can learn to create depth using value contrast and a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

  1. step 01

    Lightly sketch the circular format and the basic shapes of the figure, hat, and pipe.

  2. step 02

    Block in the background with a thin wash of yellow and green.

  3. step 03

    Establish the dark values of the hat, beard, and jacket using a mix of black and brown.

  4. step 04

    Paint the face using white, grey, and small amounts of yellow for highlights.

  5. step 05

    Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using darker tones.

  6. step 06

    Paint the pipe and smoke using white and grey.

  7. step 07

    Add the text using black paint, paying attention to the letter shapes.

  8. step 08

    Apply final touches and adjust values as needed to create depth and contrast.

color palette

primary · yellow · black · white

secondary · brown · grey · green

Mix yellow and green for the background. Use black and brown to create various shades of grey for the figure. Add small amounts of yellow to white for skin tones.

techniques

  • ·Dry brushing
  • ·Simplified portraiture
  • ·Limited palette
  • ·Value studies
  • ·Blocking in

common pitfalls

  • →Overworking details in the face.
  • →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
  • →Ignoring the importance of value contrast.
  • →Making the background too uniform.

materials

surface · Stretched canvas or round panel

required

  • ·Stretched canvas or round panel
  • ·Acrylic or oil paints (yellow, black, white, brown)
  • ·Round brushes (various sizes)
  • ·Flat brushes (various sizes)
  • ·Palette
  • ·Palette knife
  • ·Linseed oil or acrylic medium
  • ·Odorless mineral spirits or water

optional

  • ·easel
  • ·rags
  • ·apron

Use a canvas with a slightly rough texture to enhance the brushwork. Acrylics are easier for beginners, but oils allow for more blending.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

related guides

oil painting for beginners →how to learn by studying the masters →
chat about this artwork

in this vein

related artworks

Shepherd and his Lover

Shepherd and his Lover

Bertalan Por

The sketch to the movie "Colour of Pomegranate". "Muse"

The sketch to the movie "Colour of Pomegranate". "Muse"

Sergei Parajanov

Surprised!

Surprised!

Henri Rousseau

Holy Mountain I

Holy Mountain I

Horace Pippin

Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Alfred Wallis

Willage. Horse Taming

Willage. Horse Taming

Victor Palmov

Old Corn Mill, Keighley

Old Corn Mill, Keighley

John Bradley

Winter Still Life with Candle

Winter Still Life with Candle

Mary Fedden