plate no. 9420
A young beauty
Eugene de Blaas, 1882
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle blending of skin tones. It also offers practice in rendering fabric and hair with realistic textures.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and shawl.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of burnt sienna and red.
- step 03
Block in the main skin tones, paying attention to the light and shadow areas.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Add details to the hair, using small brushstrokes to create texture.
- step 06
Paint the shawl, capturing the folds and patterns of the fabric.
- step 07
Blend the edges of the forms to create a soft, realistic effect.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · burnt sienna · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red
secondary · viridian · ivory black
Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt sienna and black to create shadows. Achieve the shawl colors by mixing white, green, and ochre.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·portraiture
- ·rendering fabric
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details and losing the soft, blended effect.
- →Using too much paint and creating a muddy texture.
- →Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·soft cloth
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a glazing medium to enhance the depth and luminosity of the colors.
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