plate no. 0873

Girl with the Cornflowers

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfigureflowersclothingheadscarfhands

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and creating realistic skin tones, as well as understanding how to depict fabric and subtle lighting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figure's pose and proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with dark, muted greens and browns.
step 03
Establish the basic skin tones using a limited palette of earth tones and white.
step 04
Begin layering the clothing, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 05
Add the details of the face, focusing on accurate placement of features and subtle shading.
step 06
Paint the hands and flowers, simplifying the forms and colors.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the realism.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · burnt sienna

Mix skin tones by blending white with small amounts of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and alizarin crimson. Achieve the background color by mixing raw umber with touches of ultramarine blue and yellow ochre.

techniques