plate no. 9963

Young Mother and Two Children

Mary Cassatt, 1905

oil, canvasImpressionismgenre paintingmotherchildrenfigureswindowdomestic sceneportrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting figures in a naturalistic setting and understanding how to mix subtle skin tones and fabric colors. It also provides practice in capturing the soft, diffused light characteristic of Impressionism.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and their placement on the canvas, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of brown and ochre.
step 03
Begin layering in the basic colors for the mother's dress and the children's clothing, focusing on the overall color scheme.
step 04
Mix and apply the skin tones, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the faces, paying attention to the direction of light and the subtle variations in color.
step 06
Add the details of the window and the landscape visible through it.
step 07
Refine the brushwork and add final touches to the composition, such as highlights and shadows.
step 08
Let the painting dry and add a final layer of varnish to protect the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · raw umber · viridian

secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · sap green

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use viridian and white for the green dress, adding touches of yellow ochre for warmth. Mix blues and whites for the children's clothing.

techniques

·broken color
·wet-on-wet blending
·scumbling
·color layering
·Impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat or lifeless appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in color and light.
→Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
→Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a painting that looks unnatural.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, raw umber, viridian, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, sap green)
·Assorted brushes (round and flat, various sizes)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Linseed oil or painting medium
·Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine
·Rags or paper towels