plate no. 2062

Girl in a Japanese Costume

oil, canvasImpressionismportraitportraitfigurekimonowomanclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practicing loose, expressive brushwork to create texture and detail.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the figure and kimono, paying attention to the pose and angle of the head.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of burnt umber and yellow ochre.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, neck, and hands with light pink and cream tones, focusing on the shadows and highlights.
step 04
Begin to define the features of the face, using subtle color variations to create depth and form.
step 05
Paint the kimono with a base of light blue-gray, then add the patterns using white, yellow, orange, and green.
step 06
Develop the details of the hair, using dark brown and black to create texture and volume.
step 07
Refine the edges and details of the painting, paying attention to the overall harmony of color and tone.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · viridian green · cadmium yellow light

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Create the kimono's blue-gray by mixing ultramarine blue with white and a touch of burnt umber. Achieve the background color by blending burnt umber and yellow ochre.

techniques

·alla prima
·scumbling
·broken color
·portraiture
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details and losing the loose, painterly feel.
→Using colors that are too saturated or bright.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, viridian green)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife