plate no. 4275

Madame Vigee Lebrun and her daughter, Jeanne Lucie Louise

oil, canvasRococoself-portraitfiguresportraitmotherchildclothinghair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and rendering soft fabric. It also provides practice in creating a harmonious composition with multiple figures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figures' poses and proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin, muted color.
step 03
Establish the basic skin tones for the faces and bodies, focusing on light and shadow.
step 04
Begin layering colors to refine the skin tones and add subtle variations.
step 05
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and drapery.
step 06
Add details to the hair, creating texture and volume.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on capturing the likeness of the subjects.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall depth and realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · alizarin crimson

secondary · Prussian blue · viridian green · cadmium red light

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Use blue and green to create the darker shades in the clothing and background. Mix red and umber for the darker reds.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·glazing
·chiaroscuro
·fabric rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subjects.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, alizarin crimson, Prussian blue, viridian green, cadmium red light)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags