plate no. 8010

Girl with jumping jack (Marie Anker)

oilRealismportraitportraitchilddollfigureclothingtoy

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice portraiture, capturing likeness and expression, and using broken color to create form and texture. It also provides practice in painting fabric and rendering a simple object.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the child's head, body, and the doll.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, even tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, clothing, and doll using broad strokes.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the placement and shape of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, focusing on the highlights and shadows to create form.
step 06
Add details to the doll, capturing its unique features and texture.
step 07
Refine the edges and blend colors as needed to create a soft, realistic effect.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · ivory black · sap green

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Achieve the blue in the clothing by mixing ultramarine blue with white and a touch of black. Create the red of the doll by mixing cadmium red light with a touch of burnt umber.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·portraiture
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the colors, resulting in a flat, lifeless effect.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong, leading to an inaccurate likeness.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in skin tone.
→Overworking the details, losing the freshness and spontaneity of the original painting.