plate no. 6506
Girl with Flowers
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, layering, and capturing the impressionistic style using visible brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in portraiture and depicting floral elements.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, flowers, and background.
- step 02
Establish the overall color scheme with thin washes of color, focusing on the background.
- step 03
Begin layering in the mid-tones and shadows on the face and dress.
- step 04
Add details to the face, paying attention to the subtle color variations.
- step 05
Build up the texture of the flowers with short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the background foliage, using a variety of greens and yellows.
- step 07
Add highlights to the flowers and dress to create depth.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve a harmonious composition.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · alizarin crimson
secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green · purple
Achieve the various shades of purple by mixing ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson. Mix white with other colors to create the pastel tones.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·color mixing
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
- →Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying time.
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