After Bouguereau: The Bretons www.kingslan.com painting@kingslan.com
The Bretons Surface Portrait grade 24 x 36 portrait grade canvas. Transfer Information Transfer the design to the surface with gray graphite. Coat the graphite with varnish such as Final Coat.Coat the surface with the varnish any time the paint feels grabby. 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 RU: Raw Umber or BU + Blk BS: Burnt Sienna (optional) Blk: Mars or Carbon Black PB: Phthalo Blue 01 Optional Grays: Values of Gray 02-08 Mona Lisa Paint Thinner Mixes: WW TW + a very small amount of Y Abbreviation Archival Winsor & Newton Genesis 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. 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 After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 2)
Sepia/Bistre 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 or Raw Umber with Paint Thinner. It should be thin enough that you can draw on the canvas. Paint in the dark sections of the canvas. 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 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 red sections with R Wash the flesh tones with TW + R + Y + RS Wash the blue sections with PB Wash the black sections with Blk Wash the apron and child s hair with RS Wash the background with UB + Y + BU Low Dk After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 3)
Face, Hand and Feet Block in the face and handswith the flesh tones.reference the placement guides. Add light value where you see light gray, use medium value where you see dark gray, etc. 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. Light Values Mix One: Mix Two: Mix Three: Medium Values Mix One: Mix Two: Mix Three: Dark Values Mix One: Mix Two: Mix Three: TW + RS + Y + R Mix One + R Mix Two + QC + RS (if appears harsh) TW + RS + Y + R (warmer than Mix Three Light) Mix One + RS + QC (+ R if dull) Mix Two + QC + a speck of PB Medium Mix Three + PB Mix One + PB (add QC if too dull) Mix Two + RS + QC + speck of PB The three light values will be used in different areas of the face. The lightest light value will be used in the lightest section of the face. The slightly darker light will be placed in a mid-value tone area. The darkest of the light values are reserved for the shadowy areas. The same theory applies to the different rows of medium and dark values. After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 4)
After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 5)
After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 6)
Clothing (Sister) Shirt and Head Piece Base coat the shirt with TW + UB. Add dark values of gray as indicated on the photo reference. Apron Base coat with Blk + TW + BU. Highlight with WW. Shade with BU, BU + Blk. The decoration (using sister skirt colors and brother skirt colors) will be added when apron Skirt Base coat the skirt with BU + R. Shade with BU. Add highlights with Orange. Pinafore Base with Blk + BU. Add subtle highlights with Blue Tint (TW + UB) Clothing (Brother) Shirt Base coat the shirt with QC + BU + TW. Add lights with Blue Tint. Add dark values with QC + BU. Skirt Base coat the skirt with PB. Add highlights with Blue Tint. Shade with Black. Shawl and Apples Base coat the shawl with RS. Add pattern with BU, Blk, WW, RS + Orange Hat Base coat the skirt with BU + R. Shade with BU. Add highlights with Orange. After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 7)
The pupil has the brightest highlight. The ledge below the eye is moist therefore has a slight highlight across the section All eyes regardless of color have a dark rim around the outside of the iris. Define the nose through shadow work on the face, not on the nose itself. The darkest section on a nose is next to the eye socket. Do not overstate the nostils. Upper lashes are thicker than lower lashes. The nose turns from bone to cartilage here. The tip of the nose is usually a sphere and has a round highlight. After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 8)
Facial Features Transfer the features onto the dry painting Eye: Place the iris of the eye with BU. With Blk add the pupil. The eye is a translucent ball therefore light passes through the eye. With TW + a dot a Y, add a high light in the upper right of the eye. Slightly in from the outside edge, add a light glow in the lower left of the eye. Add the lower lid ledge with light flesh. Around the eye, strengthen all dark sections with the original mixes used. Add eyebrow with RS for girl and BU + Blk for Mother. The darkest section of the eyebrow is over the iris. Let it fade as it curves around the outside of the facial plane. Nose: Strengthen the nostrils with BS or BU + R. Add TW + Y highlight on the right side of the length of the nose. This should be off center. Add the shadows under the nose with Dark Flesh tones. Mouth: Place mouth using R. Add WW highlight on the lower lip. Dark top lip and division between using QC. Dark corners of mouth QC, QC + UB, Dark Flesh tones. Add the sclera (white section of the eye) using light gray with light flesh tones. The white of the eyes are not really all that white but a bluish gray. Into the wet paint, darken the corners of the sclera with Blk. Add tear ducts in the inside corners with TW + R + RS. Add the line of lashes with BU + Blk. Extend slightly beyond the lid. Avoid the temptation to add individual lashes. After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 9)
Background Sky Place the sky with a mixture of TW + PB. Trees in center section Base in with BU + a small amount of Y Light Fields Place light field in with a mixture of TW + PB + Y Trees in upper left Base in with BU + Black Green Mixes Darker Fields Add Place green darker areas field to using simulate RS + foilage. BU + R Brush + TW mix in other field mixes for variety. Medium: Light: High Light: Dark: Low Dark: TW + PB + Y + Black Medium + TW TW + a small amount of Y Medium + Black Dark + Black Base rear rocks with Blk + TW + RS. Base stone and area below foot (foreground) with Flesh 07 or TW + RS + BU then slip/slap stone with colors from field After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 10)
Final Stages White Shirt and Head Piece Add WW, Blue Tint highlights to shirt. Strengthen dark sections with Gray values. Add gray highlights to pinafore and shade again with BU. Brother s Blue Skirt Add WW, Blue Tint highlights to skirt. Strengthen dark sections with Black. Sister s Apron Add WW highlights to apron. Strengthen dark sections with BU and then Black. Be sure the pattern glows through the highlights. Sister s Skirt Add WW, Orange Tint highlights to skirt. Strengthen dark sections with BU and then Black. Flesh Tones If the flesh tones are too pink or purple, glaze with RS or Orange. Add highlights back into the wet glaze. Strengthen darks using the dark values from the flesh tones. Add blush tones with R. Brother Hair Basecoat hair with RS. Add light sections with TW + Y. Shade with RS + BU. Add S Varnish Varnish with Final Coat Varnish following manufacturer s instructions. is dry. After Bouguereau: The Bretons (page 11)