plate no. 1656

Julie Salis Schwabe

oilNeoclassicismportraitportraitfigurechairbookdress

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. It also provides practice in rendering textures like fabric and lace.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the proportions of the figure and the placement of the chair and book.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the background, the dress, the chair, and the skin tones.
step 03
Refine the skin tones, paying attention to the subtle variations in light and shadow.
step 04
Add details to the dress, including the lace collar and cuffs.
step 05
Paint the chair, focusing on the texture of the wood and the velvet upholstery.
step 06
Render the book, paying attention to the details of the pages and the cover.
step 07
Add the final details, such as the jewelry and the highlights in the hair.
step 08
Glaze and varnish the painting to protect it and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · ivory black · crimson red · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green

Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Use varying amounts of white to create highlights and shadows. Achieve the dark dress color by mixing black with a touch of umber or crimson.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·blending
·rendering fabric
·rendering lace

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones.
→Failing to capture the texture of the fabric and lace.
→Making the background too distracting.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Oil paints: ivory black, crimson red, raw umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, viridian green
·Assorted round and flat brushes
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife