plate no. 7240
Girl with a Fur Hat
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, capturing likeness, and rendering realistic textures like fur and skin. It also provides practice in color mixing and achieving subtle value changes to create form.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, paying attention to the placement of the head, shoulders, and hat.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of blues and greens.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hat, coat, and scarf, focusing on the overall values.
- step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow on the face.
- step 05
Develop the texture of the fur hat using short, broken brushstrokes and varying values.
- step 06
Add details to the coat and scarf, including folds, highlights, and shadows.
- step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and value to create depth.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · viridian
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, raw umber, and small amounts of red and yellow. Mix greens by combining blue and yellow, and adjust the value with white or raw umber. Browns are achieved by mixing umber, red, and yellow.
techniques
- ·portrait painting
- ·color mixing
- ·value study
- ·fur texture
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Incorrect proportions of the face and body.
- →Overblending, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes in the skin tones.
- →Failing to capture the texture of the fur.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·oil paints: raw umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, cadmium red, yellow ochre
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A medium-grit canvas will provide a good surface for the paint to adhere to.
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