plate no. 5324

Two Sisters

Nicolae Tonitza, 1927

oilExpressionismportraitfiguresportraitsistersclothinghairchair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing light and shadow with visible brushstrokes. It's a good exercise in simplifying forms and focusing on overall impression rather than precise detail.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and background.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the skin, clothing, and background.
step 03
Start building up the skin tones with layers of color, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Define the features of the faces, keeping the brushstrokes loose and expressive.
step 05
Add details to the clothing and hair, using a variety of brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Refine the background and add any final details.
step 07
Check the overall balance of the painting and make any necessary adjustments.
step 08
Let dry and varnish

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · ivory black

Mix skin tones using yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cadmium red, and white. Use small amounts of blue or green to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. Mix greens by combining viridian green and yellow ochre.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color layering
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone.
→Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 16x20
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, titanium white, cadmium red, viridian green, ultramarine blue, ivory black)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags