plate no. 9086

Girl Icon

Vajda Lajos, 1936

oilExpressionismportraitfigureportraiticonfacegeometricsymbol

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified forms, color mixing for muted tones, and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes. It also encourages experimentation with line work and geometric abstraction.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: the head (circles), neck (rectangle), and body (trapezoid).
step 02
Outline the figure with a thin line of burnt sienna or a similar earth tone.
step 03
Block in the background with a muted gray-blue, blending the edges slightly.
step 04
Fill in the face with light blue, adding subtle highlights and shadows.
step 05
Paint the concentric circles around the face with pink and green, blending where they meet.
step 06
Add the facial features with dark brown or black, keeping them simple and stylized.
step 07
Fill in the neck and body with the appropriate colors, using vertical stripes for the lower section.
step 08
Add the dark outline of the square shape at the bottom.