plate no. 2077

Lady with a Fan

oil, panelAcademicismportraitfigureportraitdresshatfanclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portrait painting, including capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in color mixing to achieve subtle skin tones and fabric hues.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and main lines of the dress.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin, even wash of neutral color.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, dress, and hat, paying attention to the overall value structure.
step 04
Refine the skin tones by layering subtle variations of color, focusing on highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, including the folds, lace, and ribbons, using a combination of blending and layering techniques.
step 06
Add details to the hat and hair, paying attention to the texture and form.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on capturing the likeness and expression of the subject.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones with white, raw umber, a touch of cadmium red, and ultramarine blue. Achieve the lavender hues of the dress by mixing white, alizarin crimson, and ultramarine blue. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the warmer tones in the background and dress.

techniques

·portrait painting
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·rendering fabric

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong in the initial sketch.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations of color.
→Failing to capture the likeness and expression of the subject.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating depth and dimension.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (titanium white, raw umber, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags