plate no. 0147
Young Man
Jean Paul Lemieux, 1968
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students practice subtle color mixing and blending techniques to create atmospheric perspective and a sense of depth. It also provides an opportunity to study simplified portraiture and figure placement within a landscape.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
2
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the horizon line and the basic shapes of the figure and the field.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light gray-blue, allowing for subtle variations in tone.
- step 03
Establish the base color of the field using a mix of browns and yellows, creating a gradient from foreground to background.
- step 04
Add the rows in the field with darker browns, using short, horizontal brushstrokes to suggest texture.
- step 05
Roughly sketch the figure's form, paying attention to proportions and posture.
- step 06
Block in the figure's clothing with a light off-white, adding subtle shadows and highlights.
- step 07
Paint the face and hair with muted tones, focusing on capturing the likeness with minimal detail.
- step 08
Refine the details of the figure and the field, blending edges and adding subtle highlights and shadows.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · payne's gray
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of umber and gray. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna sparingly to add warmth to the field.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·limited palette
- ·tonal painting
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details
- →Creating too much contrast
- →Using colors that are too saturated
- →Ignoring the atmospheric perspective
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·payne's gray oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a fine weave to allow for smooth blending. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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