plate no. 2155

Female portrait

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfiguredresschairlacefurniture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating subtle value gradations to model form.

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 and furniture.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted colors.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, chair, and dress, using simplified color masses.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to light and shadow to create form.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress and lace, using smaller brushes and careful observation.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to the chair and furniture to create depth.
step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to unify the painting and create subtle transitions.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · ivory black · ultramarine blue · raw umber

secondary · titanium white · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Mix blacks with blues and umbers to avoid a flat, lifeless black. Use white to create highlights and subtle gradations in the skin tones and fabric.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·fabric rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Using too much black, resulting in a muddy painting.
→Failing to capture the subtle nuances of light and shadow.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Oil paints (ivory black, ultramarine blue, raw umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags