plate no. 0781

Jeanne Pontillon Wearing a Hat

pastelImpressionismportraitportraitwomanhatpastelfigureimpressionism

some experience helpful

Recreating this pastel portrait will help students develop skills in layering colors, creating soft edges, and capturing the essence of a subject with minimal detail. It's a great exercise in impressionistic techniques and color harmony.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, hat, and shoulders using a light pastel pencil.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face and hat with broad strokes of pastel.
step 03
Begin layering colors on the face, using pinks, yellows, and blues to create a sense of depth and form.
step 04
Develop the hat by layering yellows, blues, greens, and reds, paying attention to the direction of the strokes to suggest texture.
step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, using darker pastels to define the features.
step 06
Soften the edges of the forms by gently blending the pastels with a finger or blending stump.
step 07
Add final touches of color and highlights to enhance the overall impression.
step 08
Fix the pastel with a light coat of workable fixative.

color palette

primary · yellow · pink · blue · red

secondary · green · purple · brown

Achieve skin tones by layering pinks, yellows, and blues. Create depth in the hat by layering complementary colors like yellow and blue, red and green.

techniques

·pastel layering
·soft blending
·color mixing
·hatching
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Over-blending and losing the vibrancy of the colors.
→Using too much pressure and filling the tooth of the paper too quickly.
→Not establishing a clear value structure early on.
→Getting bogged down in details and losing the overall impressionistic feel.

materials

surface · pastel paper

required

·Pastel paper
·Soft pastels (various colors)
·Pastel pencils
·Blending stump
·Kneaded eraser
·Workable fixative
·Drawing board
·Soft cloth

optional

·Palette knife
·Easel
·Reference photo print

Choose a pastel paper with a good tooth to hold the pastel pigment. Use soft pastels for broad strokes and layering, and pastel pencils for finer details.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

chat about this artwork

in this vein