plate no. 9628
Little Japanese Girl
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and subtle skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and understanding light and shadow on a human form.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch of the figure, focusing on proportions and placement.
- step 02
Block in the main shapes and colors of the background, skin, kimono, and obi.
- step 03
Begin layering the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in value and hue.
- step 04
Refine the features of the face, focusing on accurate placement and expression.
- step 05
Develop the folds and details of the kimono and obi, using light and shadow to create form.
- step 06
Add details such as the hair ornaments and any other accessories.
- step 07
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a harmonious and balanced composition.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red
secondary · ivory black · sap green
Skin tones are achieved through subtle mixes of white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and raw umber. The background is primarily raw umber lightened with white. The kimono colors are muted with umber.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
- →Making the colors too saturated.
- →Ignoring the importance of light and shadow in creating form.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·odorless mineral spirits
A smooth canvas is recommended for easier blending. Use a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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