plate no. 3034
Madame Armand Brief, born Suzanne Doumerc
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering subtle skin tones, as well as practice with depicting textures like lace.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic oval shape of the portrait and the placement of the figure.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the main features of the face: eyes, nose, mouth, and hairline.
- step 03
Block in the large areas of color: skin tones, dress, background, and hair.
- step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, lips, and eyebrows.
- step 06
Render the lace details of the dress and head covering.
- step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre
Skin tones can be achieved by mixing white, burnt sienna, and a touch of alizarin crimson. Vary the proportions to create highlights and shadows. The background is a mix of raw umber and white.
techniques
- ·portrait sketching
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
- ·rendering lace
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Making the lace look flat and lifeless.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·assorted brushes
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Romantic Landscape
Karl Lessing
Self-portrait with his brother Francesco
Giuseppe Tominz
Oenone Refuse de Secourir Pâris au Siège de Troie
Léon Cogniet
Duke of Alba
Francisco Goya
Blick Aus Dem Wald Ins Tal
Andreas Achenbach
Young Girl Fixing Her Hair
Sophie Gengembre Anderson
The Plough Inn
William Shayer
Hudson River Landscape
Johann Hermann Carmiencke