plate no. 7918

Head of a Farm Girl

oil, panelRealismportraitportraitfigureheadscarfclothingfacejewelry

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle color mixing for skin tones. It also offers practice in rendering fabric and simple jewelry.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and headscarf.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of dark reddish-brown.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, headscarf, and clothing with simplified color masses.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying close attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth, focusing on accurate shapes and highlights.
step 06
Add details to the headscarf, including folds and highlights.
step 07
Render the clothing, paying attention to the way light falls on the fabric.
step 08
Add the jewelry details and refine the overall composition.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue or umber for shadows. The background is a mix of umber and red. The headscarf is primarily umber with subtle variations.

techniques