plate no. 8618

Girl in a Japanese Kimono

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfigurekimonowomanclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practice loose brushwork and color mixing for fabric and background.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and kimono.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of brown and gradually build up darker and lighter tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, neck, and hands with basic skin tone mixtures, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth, and adding subtle details.
step 05
Paint the kimono using loose, expressive brushstrokes, capturing the folds and patterns of the fabric.
step 06
Add the details of the kimono's design, including the birds and floral elements, using a smaller brush.
step 07
Refine the hair, adding highlights and shadows to create volume and texture.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition, ensuring that the values and colors are balanced.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. The kimono's blue is ultramarine with white and a touch of red. The background is primarily raw umber with subtle variations.

techniques

·portraiture
·loose brushwork
·color mixing
·glazing
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details of the face, resulting in a stiff or unnatural appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone, resulting in a flat or lifeless complexion.
→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong, resulting in an inaccurate likeness.
→Making the kimono's design too detailed and losing the overall impressionistic effect.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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