Young Woman with Her Child on Her Arm

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black

Mix yellow ochre with white for the sky and field. Use raw umber and burnt sienna for the figure's dress, adding white to lighten the values. Use ivory black sparingly to darken shadows.

techniques

• ·dry brush texture
• ·scumbling
• ·color blending
• ·alla prima
• ·simplification of forms

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality of the original.
• →Using too much detail in the background, which can distract from the figure.
• →Failing to capture the subtle variations in color that create a sense of depth.
• →Making the values too dark, which can flatten the image.