plate no. 4989

Girl in Chinese Dress

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfiguredresshandfacehair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and capturing fabric textures with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex patterns.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and dress.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted color.
step 03
Block in the main areas of skin tone using a base color.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create the form of the face and hand, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Paint the red robe using bold brushstrokes and varying shades of red.
step 06
Add the details of the dress pattern, simplifying the shapes and colors.
step 07
Refine the facial features and add highlights to the hair.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red · ivory black

secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by blending white, umber, and a touch of red. Achieve the dress pattern colors by mixing white with small amounts of green, blue, and red.

techniques