plate no. 7758
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some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose, expressive brushwork and capturing light and shadow with simplified forms. It's also a good exercise in color mixing and creating a sense of atmosphere.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: figure, window, and background.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color using thin washes.
- step 03
Start building up layers of paint, focusing on the light and shadow patterns.
- step 04
Use thicker paint and more visible brushstrokes to define the figure and window.
- step 05
Add details to the figure's clothing and the window's reflection.
- step 06
Refine the edges and shapes, but keep the overall feeling loose and expressive.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth.
- step 08
Step back and adjust the composition as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · sap green · cadmium red light
Mix muted greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Use white to lighten colors and create subtle variations in tone. Mix browns from ultramarine and burnt umber.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·alla prima
- ·color temperature
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the loose, expressive quality.
- →Making the colors too saturated.
- →Ignoring the underlying structure of the forms.
- →Getting lost in details too early.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·round brushes sizes 4, 6, 8
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium
Use a medium-grain canvas to allow for texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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