plate no. 5417

Girl in Red

oilPost-Impressionismportraitfigureportraitdressgirlbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and creating a sense of depth with color and brushwork.

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 background.
step 02
Establish the main color blocks for the background, dress, skin, and hair.
step 03
Begin layering the background with varying shades of blue and green, using loose brushstrokes.
step 04
Develop the form of the figure by adding highlights and shadows to the skin and dress.
step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Add the details of the dress, including the collar and the pattern.
step 07
Paint the shoes and socks, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final touches and details to the background and figure.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · cerulean blue · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · raw umber

Mix various shades of red by adding white, yellow ochre, or raw umber. Achieve the background colors by blending blue, white, and small amounts of yellow ochre or raw umber.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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