plate no. 1639

Comtes de Tournon, née Geneviève de Seytres Caumont

oil, canvasNeoclassicismportraitportraitfiguredresschairlaceshawl

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and realistic skin tones, as well as rendering fabric textures and details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin layer of dark, muted color.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the dress, shawl, and chair with corresponding base colors.
step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in value.
step 05
Develop the folds and highlights in the dress, using darker and lighter shades of green.
step 06
Add details to the lace collar and veil, using fine brushstrokes and light colors.
step 07
Paint the patterned shawl, simplifying the design and focusing on the overall color harmony.
step 08
Refine the details of the face, hair, and jewelry, adding highlights and shadows for depth.

color palette

primary · ivory black · emerald green · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt umber

Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Achieve the green of the dress by mixing emerald green with ivory black and a touch of yellow ochre for variation.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·blending
·rendering fabric
·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness.
→Making the dress too flat and lacking depth.
→Struggling with the lace and shawl details.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (ivory black, emerald green, titanium white, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt umber)
·round brushes (sizes 0, 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette
·palette knife