plate no. 6937
Viv in Blue Stripe
Robert Henri, 1914
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing the essence of a subject with expressive brushstrokes. The striped jacket offers a good exercise in maintaining consistent form and perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, jacket stripes, and hat.
- step 03
Refine the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
- step 04
Develop the striped jacket, carefully rendering the lines and folds.
- step 05
Add details to the face, including eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 06
Work on the hat, capturing its shape and texture.
- step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and value.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
secondary · ivory black · cadmium red light
Skin tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. The blue stripes are ultramarine blue mixed with white, and the black is ivory black.
techniques
- ·alla prima
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·color temperature
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
- →Making the skin tones look flat and lifeless.
- →Struggling with the perspective of the striped jacket.
- →Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·assorted brushes (rounds and flats)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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