www.kingslan.com painting@kingslan.com Rest at Harvest - After Bouguereau
William Bouguereau eau - Rest at t Harvest Surface Portrait grade 24 x 36 portrait grade canvas Transfer Information Transfer the design to the surface with gray graphite. Palette Set up and mixing The original piece was painted with Genesis Heat Set Oils. There is a conversion chart included if you care to use traditional oils. TW: Titanium White Y: Genesis Yellow R: Genesis Red O: Orange (or mix R + Y) QC: Quinacridone Crimson UB: Ultramarine Blue RS: Raw Sienna BU: Burnt Umber BS: Burnt Sienna Blk: Mars or Carbon Black PB: Phthalo Blue 01 Optional Grays: Values of Gray 02-08 Mona Lisa Paint Thinner or equivalent paint thinner or turpentine Mixing Formulas Formulae for mixing is given throughout this lesson. You will find that the mixes for the hue are given first. This is followed by a colour that will raise or lower the value. Once the value and colour are mixed, the next addition usually is meant to either brighten or dull the colour. Finally, a colour may need to be mixed into the pile that will adjust the temperature. History of the Painting: In the style of his day, Bouguereau s harvesters tend to be rather idealized and interchangeable with figures in his classical paintings. Nonetheless, Bouguereau s 1865 Rest at Harvest offers a glimpse of a young woman taking a break from fieldwork a physical rest, perhaps, but also a moment to allow herself to daydream and escape to a more romantic world. Bouguereau s harvester here is appealingly rustic, wearing a rumpled apron and holding a flower in her hand. She is not resting by sleeping but has her eyes open as she curls up barefoot on the ground, and she gives the impression of curious innocence. Bouguereau further distinguishes the painting by its interesting perspective, with an angle of tall grass growing behind the girl leading to a house in the background. Abbreviation Archival Winsor & Newton Genesis W Soft Titanium White Titanium White White Y Cadmium Yellow Mid Cadmium Yellow Pale Genesis Yellow R Cadmium Scarlet Bright Red Genesis Red QC or RV Permanent Alizarine Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone Crimson UB Ultramarine Blue Ultramarine Blue Ultramarine Blue BU Burnt Umber + R Burnt Umber Burnt Umber RS Raw Sienna Raw Sienna Raw Sienna Blk Mars Black Ivory Black Carbon Black PB Cerulean Blue Cerulean Blue Pthalo Blue NY Naples Yellow Naples Yellow RS + TW + Y OG Olive Green Olive Green RS + UB + BU BC or PM Purple Madder Alizarin Purple Madder RV or QC + Blk PG Pthalo Yellow Green Cadmium Green Pale UB + Y + W Rest At Harvest pg 2
Stage One: Sepia Underpainting Review sepia underpainting segment on the video as this is your best reference. It will help train your eye. Start with a white, primed canvas. Thin a mixture of BU + a small amount of Black with Paint Thinner. It should be thin enough that you can draw on the canvas. Paint in the dark sections of the canvas such as the lower left of the dress, the dark upright of the step and shadow work. If a section becomes too dark, load a brush with Paint Thinner and scrub out the light sections. Wash the flesh sections in with a very light value. This is the lightest section of the entire piece. Darken the outside edges of the arms and each finger and palm. Add a dark value in the eye sockets, under the chin, and nostril opening. Add a darker value to define the cheek/nose area. The painting must be dry prior to moving to the next stage. Stage Two: Color Wash Low Dk Wash each object with the colors listed. This is a transparent layer so as to begin to bring the objects to their local color. Thin each color with paint thinner so that the sepia underpainting glows through. Wash the skirt with PB 01 Wash the apron with TW + Blk Wash the flesh tones with Medium Flesh tone (see next page) Wash the hair with BU Wash the green areas with PB + Y, BU + R, RS Wash the pinafore with Blk Wash the field section with Orange Rest At Harvest pg 3
Face, Hand and Feet Block in the face with the flesh tones without blending as shown on the placement guide sheets. Use a soft brush to create a smooth appearance. Block out the sepia tones underneath. Ignore details such as the eyes, mouth, nostrils, etc. Blend the values together slightly. While blending, keep the brush half on one value and half on the other value. Blend using virtually no pressure. Just melt the sections together. All sections will be reinforced when dry. High Light Light Medium Dark High Lt Light Flesh Tones Medium: Light: High Light: Dark: Cool Low Dark: TW + R + Y + RS Medium + TW + Y Light + TW Medium + RS + Violet Dark + BU + Violet Low Dark Low Dark + Burnt Sienna Key to placement of values NOT the swatch /match sheet Med Dark Low Dk Hair The dark sections are placed first with BU. Then add the midvalue sections with RS + a small amount of TW. Lastly add the light sections with PB or UB + TW. Notice the under side is overall much darker with little highlight. Blend the values together slightly. While blending, keep the brush half on one value and half on the other value. Blend using virtually no pressure. Just melt the sections together. All sections will be reinforced when dry. Rest At Harvest pg 4
High Light Light Medium Dark Low Dark Low Dark with progressively more BS Key to placement of values NOT the swatch /match sheet Rest At Harvest pg 5
Shirt Mixes: Medium: Light: High Light: Dark: Low Dark: TW + a small amount of RS + PB Medium + TW Light + TW + a small amt of Orange (R +Y) Medium + Blk Dark + Blk + BU Skirt Base in the skirt with Medium Value. Add lighter values and dark values to create folds. Mixes: Medium: Light: High Light: Dark: Low Dark: Black + PB + TW Medium + TW Light + TW Medium + Blk Dark + Blk Pinafore Base with Black and add gray values from the Shirt mixes. Apron Add Black to each of the shirt mixes. When dry add stripes using UB or PB. Rest At Harvest pg 6
Background Sky Repaint the sky if necessary. Add the darkest value in the upper right corner. Get gradually lighter as you near the horizon line. Dark: Medium: Light: UB + QC + TW Dark + TW Medium + TW Orange Field behind girl Following the vertical direction of the field, add Orange (R + Y) stalks behind the figure. Add WW, Green, Red, Blue Tint into wet basecoat. Green Fields, Tree and House Dry brush a variety of greens into the field behind the figure. Make a variety of greens with TW + Blk + Y varying the amount of each different additive of paint will give different tones. Add light and dark values from the rest of the composition into the fields to create variety. Create the trees in the background using dark greens (Black + Y). Add the roof of the house with BU + R. Add the balance of the house with Medium/Dark from the Apron value scale. Flowers Add ther red flowers with R. Highlight with Orange and WW. Rest At Harvest pg 7
Face Transfer facial features. Eye (review step sheet prior to beginning) Place lash line with BU + Black. Add Iris/Pupil with BU. Add the white of the eye with dark shirt value. The white (sclera) of the eye is never white but a blue/gray. Using short strokes, add the eyebrow with BU. It should fade as it moves across the brow bone. It should be the darkest over the peak of the brow bone right above the pupil. Add the crease in the eye lid (above and below eye) with Low Dark Flesh tone. Add highlights in the original light area on and around the eye using one value lighter than the value underneath: above and below the brow bone, center of lid above and below eye. Nose and Inside of Ear Add the nostril with with BU + QC. This is red in color to show that light is shining through the translucent cartilage. Add a triangle of light. Shade with BU + R on the left side, nose wing and underneath. Add the inside of the ear with BU + QC. Deepen the crease with this same color. Chin and Neck Shade the left side of the chin and the neck with BU + QC. Strenghten the light on the right side with WW. Add reflected light under her chin with Blue Tint (TW + PB) Mouth (review page 11 prior to beginning) Apply a generalized lip tone to the area (R + QC + TW) keeping the shape vague. Add the center of the lips and corners with BU + R. With Dark + QC, deepen the center and edges of mouth Create actual lip shape by carving in around lip shapes and septum with flesh tones. Add a highlight lower lip with pink (TW + R) Analyze Your Painting Is the right side of the face darker than the left? If not, glaze the flesh with BU + QC Is the left side light enough? If not, add highlights on the right side of the face and gown with TW + Y. Are there any dull sections? In the face, add pink tones to alleviate dullness. Are there harsh violet tones in the skin? Glaze with RS in order to neutralize. Varnish Varnish with Final Coat Varnish building up several coats to give the painting an Old World sheen. With Low Dark Flesh, add shadow underneath lower lip and corners of the mouth. Rest At Harvest pg 8
Rest At Harvest pg 9
Six Tips for Painting the Mouth 1. The mouth is in constant motion, so a painting of it must have soft edges or it will appear too stiff and seem inappropriate for the rest of the painted face. 2. It s better to understate the mouth rather than overstate it. Suggestion goes further than careful delineation. 3. There is a sequence of lit and shadowed planes that describe the topography of the mouth. Under most situations, the light hits the top of the upper lip and casts a shadow beneath the top lip; whereas light touches the upper plane of the lower lip and causes a cast shadow beneath it. If you simplify the values of that sequence, the mouth will read correctly. 4. Structurally, you can conceive of one ball (the fleshy center part of the upper lip) resting on two below it (the two lobes of the lower lip). See the diagram. 5. The deep darks in the mouth are almost always warm, regardless of the temperature of the light. 6. Highlights on the bottom lip have a definite shape and color and are usually cool, even under warm light. Rest At Harvest pg 10