plate no. 4600

Girl with yellow shawl

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfiguregirlshawlclothingflowers

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and form through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the figure and the main shapes of the shawl and clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of paint.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, shawl, and clothing, focusing on accurate values.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the highlights and shadows that define the form.
step 05
Develop the folds and textures of the shawl, using a combination of blending and layering techniques.
step 06
Add the details of the clothing, including the polka dots and any subtle patterns.
step 07
Paint the small flowers, focusing on their delicate shapes and colors.
step 08
Refine the overall painting, adjusting values and adding details as needed to create a sense of realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium yellow

secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · raw sienna

Skin tones can be achieved by mixing titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of alizarin crimson. The yellow shawl is primarily cadmium yellow mixed with a touch of white and yellow ochre. The blue dots are ultramarine blue lightened with white.

techniques