plate no. 9417
Young Bather
Gandy Brodie, 1956
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying forms and using a limited color palette to create a mood. It's also a good exercise in capturing light and shadow with expressive brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure and the background.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color with thin washes.
- step 03
Start building up the values, focusing on the light and shadow on the figure.
- step 04
Add details to the face and torso, keeping the brushstrokes loose and expressive.
- step 05
Refine the background, blending some areas and leaving others with visible brushstrokes.
- step 06
Adjust the overall composition and values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
- step 07
Add final highlights and details.
- step 08
Let dry and varnish.
color palette
primary · Prussian Blue · Titanium White · Burnt Umber
secondary · Raw Sienna · Payne's Grey
Mix various shades of blue by combining Prussian Blue and Titanium White. Use Burnt Umber and Raw Sienna to create the skin tones, adding white to lighten and blue to cool.
techniques
- ·Blocking in
- ·Dry brushing
- ·Scumbling
- ·Limited palette
- ·Simplifying forms
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details
- →Using too many colors
- →Losing the expressive brushstrokes
- →Incorrect proportions of the figure
materials
surface · Stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Round brushes (#4, #8)
- ·Flat brushes (#6)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits (if using oils)
optional
- ·Medium gloss
- ·Retarder medium
Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the brushstrokes. Consider using a toned ground (light grey or blue) to unify the colors.
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