plate no. 5890

When a Little Girl Needs Her Mother Most

Haddon Sundblom, 1928

oil, canvasNew Realismgenre paintingfiguresmotherchildinteriorlampbook

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, capturing light and shadow on skin tones, and creating a sense of intimacy through composition and color choices. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and textures with visible brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the main figures and objects.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, focusing on the overall value structure.
step 03
Establish the darkest shadows and brightest highlights.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle color variations.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing and background, using visible brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Add details to the faces, focusing on capturing the expressions.
step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to adjust the overall tone and create depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre

secondary · viridian · ultramarine blue

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and alizarin crimson, with touches of raw umber for shadows. The green robe is a mix of viridian, raw umber, and white. The pink dress is alizarin crimson and white.

techniques