plate no. 0935

Dame jouant du virginal

oil, canvasBaroquegenre paintingfigurepianoshawldresschairroom

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, depicting fabric folds and understanding subtle light and shadow transitions to create form. It also provides practice in rendering realistic textures and details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, piano, and background.
step 02
Establish the main light source and map out the areas of light and shadow.
step 03
Begin blocking in the large areas of color, starting with the background and then moving to the figure's dress and shawl.
step 04
Focus on the skin tones, using thin layers of paint to build up the color and value.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying close attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 06
Refine the details of the piano, including the keys, wood grain, and music stand.
step 07
Add the final details to the shawl and dress, such as the folds and wrinkles.
step 08
Glaze the painting with thin layers of color to unify the composition and add depth.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · cadmium red

Mix various shades of yellow ochre with white and a touch of burnt umber to create the shawl's highlights and shadows. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black for the chair. Mix white with a touch of burnt umber and yellow ochre for the dress.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·portraiture
·fabric rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
→Overworking the details too early in the painting process.
→Not paying enough attention to the light and shadow.
→Using too much paint and losing the subtle color variations.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, ivory black, titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, cadmium red)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Palette knife