plate no. 2892

Little Girl with Veil

Alexei Harlamoff, 1904

pastelRealismportraitportraitgirlveilhairclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering soft, diffused lighting. It also provides practice in layering colors and creating texture with pastel.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the girl's head, shoulders, and veil.
step 02
Establish the background tone with a light, even layer of pastel.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, clothing, and veil, focusing on overall values.
step 04
Begin layering colors to build depth and dimension in the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in hue.
step 05
Develop the details of the hair, using short, broken strokes to create texture and movement.
step 06
Render the veil, focusing on the interplay of light and shadow to suggest its delicate texture.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth, to capture the girl's likeness.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall sense of realism and depth.

color palette

primary · flesh tones (various shades of pink, peach, and beige) · browns · black

secondary · red · gold · gray · ivory

Achieve skin tones by layering pinks, peaches, and creams. Mix browns with blues and reds for richer shadows in the hair and clothing. Use white and gray to soften and blend colors.

techniques