plate no. 3337

Lady with a Fan

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfiguredressfanjewelrychair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of skin tones, as well as understanding how to depict fabric and textures with subtle variations in value.

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 figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and dress.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted gray, paying attention to subtle value shifts.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the skin tones using a limited palette of earth tones and white.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle shading to create form.
step 05
Paint the dress using a mix of black and dark browns, adding highlights to suggest the folds and texture of the fabric.
step 06
Add details such as the jewelry, fan, and chair, paying attention to their relative size and placement.
step 07
Refine the edges and details throughout the painting, blending and softening where necessary.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson

Skin tones can be achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt sienna or alizarin crimson. The dress is primarily black with subtle variations created by adding raw umber or burnt sienna.

techniques