plate no. 4977
Lady with a Parasol
Robert Lewis Reid, 1921
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating soft, diffused light effects. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and subtle details.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the main shapes: head, shoulders, parasol.
- step 02
Block in the main color areas: skin, dress, background, parasol.
- step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, focusing on subtle color variations and highlights.
- step 04
Develop the details of the dress, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
- step 05
Work on the parasol, capturing its texture and the light filtering through it.
- step 06
Add details to the face: eyes, lips, and hair.
- step 07
Refine the background, ensuring it complements the figure.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall effect.
color palette
primary · titanium white · rose madder · yellow ochre
secondary · cerulean blue · viridian green · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and rose madder. Use small amounts of blue and green to create shadows and cool tones. Mix white with a touch of rose madder for the parasol.
techniques
- ·soft blending
- ·color layering
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Using too much paint, obscuring the canvas texture.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin.
- →Failing to capture the soft, diffused light.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·rose madder oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g. Liquin)
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A medium can be used to thin the paint and speed up drying time.
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