plate no. 3098

Elsie Woodbury Brown

oil, canvasAcademicismportraitportraitfiguredressbackgroundhaircouch

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practicing soft blending and creating subtle color variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of blue and grey, suggesting the floral pattern.
step 03
Establish the main values of the face and body, using a limited palette of skin tones.
step 04
Develop the details of the face, paying attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Paint the dress and shawl, focusing on the folds and highlights.
step 06
Add details to the hair, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 07
Refine the background and foreground, adding depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall effect.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending white, raw umber, and small amounts of cadmium red and yellow ochre. Use ultramarine blue and white to create the background color, adding raw umber for shadows.

techniques

·portraiture
·soft blending
·scumbling
·glazing
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details of the face, resulting in a stiff or unnatural appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle shifts in color and value, leading to a flat or lifeless painting.
→Ignoring the importance of the background, resulting in a distracting or unbalanced composition.
→Using too much detail in the dress and shawl, overwhelming the figure.