Marusia by the sea

Light streams from the upper left, creating a bright, airy composition dominated by the figure's pale face and white collar set against a dark navy-patterned jacket. The eye enters at the portrait subject's direct gaze, then travels upward to the vivid magenta lilacs and white flowers in the ceramic vase, which commands nearly as much visual weight as the figure itself. The seascape with its small sailing boat occupies the upper background, while a table with lemons and an open book grounds the lower right, creating a sophisticated still-life arrangement around the seated figure.

The darkest darks are concentrated in the jacket's diagonal striped pattern and the book spine marked 'BIRLIUK,' creating a strong anchor in the lower composition. The lightest lights are the sky, the white collar, and highlights on the ceramic vase. Mid-tones dominate the face and the cool blue-green water, creating a moderate overall value range rather than extreme contrast. Squint and you'll see three clear value bands: sky/water (light), figure and flowers (medium-light), and jacket/book (dark).

• #6bb2c6

  Ultramarine blue + cadmium yellow + titanium white

  Water, sky mid-tones, and atmospheric areas throughout the background

• #d6e2db

  Titanium white + touch of ultramarine blue + viridian

  Ceramic vase, white flowers, clouds, and the figure's collar

• #605050

  Burnt sienna + ultramarine blue + alizarin crimson

  Dark jacket pattern, book spine, and deep shadow accents

• #a4bfc5

  Ultramarine blue + titanium white + touch of viridian

  Mid-tone sky, water reflections, and soft modeling in the face

• #cfbea3

  Cadmium yellow + burnt sienna + titanium white

  Lemons, warm skin tones, and the ochre-brown table surface

Edges are deliberately varied: the face and collar are softly modeled with blended strokes that follow facial anatomy, while the jacket displays bold, angular striped marks with sharp, broken edges showing the weave pattern. Brushwork in the flowers is loose and gestural—dabs and dashes of magenta and pink without precise definition—contrasting with the tighter rendering of the figure's eyes and mouth. The water and sky feature directional, sweeping strokes that create movement and atmosphere.

1. 01

   Establish the composition and underpainting

   Lightly sketch the figure's head and shoulders, the vase position to the right, and the horizon line of the sea. Block in a warm mid-tone (burnt sienna + ultramarine) for the shadowed jacket area and a cool blue-gray for the sky. This warm-cool foundation will make subsequent colors sing. Work loose and light; you're building a scaffold, not a finished layer.

2. 02

   Lay in the sky and water

   Paint the sky with broad, horizontal strokes of light blue-white (ultramarine + white with yellow touches for warmth near the horizon). Move into the water area below, using the same blue but slightly darker and more saturated. Leave white paper showing through in places—this underpainting will create luminosity. Notice how the water is brighter on the left (where light hits) and deeper blue-green toward the right horizon.

3. 03

   Build the portrait face and neck

   Mix a warm, peachy flesh tone (cadmium yellow + alizarin crimson + white + touch of ultramarine for shadow) and apply it to the face with soft, rounded brushstrokes that follow the bone structure. The face tilts slightly left and has cool blue-gray shadows on the right side; don't make it flat. Keep the white collar bright and pure; use crisp edges where fabric meets the neck, softer where it folds. Block in the warm reddish-brown hair with burnt sienna + alizarin, leaving highlights of the underpainting showing through.

4. 04

   Render the eyes, nose, and mouth

   The eyes are the emotional anchor—paint them with a small round brush, placing the iris and pupil carefully. Notice one eye looks slightly lower than the other; respect this asymmetry. The eyes are a cool blue-gray with white highlights. The nose and mouth are understated; use a thin mix of alizarin + ultramarine for subtle modeling rather than dark outlines. The mouth is gentle, nearly flesh-colored. These features should feel alive but not overworked.

5. 05

   Paint the jacket with its distinctive pattern

   The jacket is dark navy-black with diagonal striped texture. Using a flat brush and very dark ultramarine + burnt sienna + touch of alizarin, lay in broad strokes following the shoulder's curve. Once the base is dry-ish, use a smaller brush to scribe diagonal hatching lines with the same dark mix, slightly thinned. This cross-hatching creates the woven fabric illusion. The stripes should be confident, not mechanical—vary their spacing slightly. Leave the white collar pure and crisp against this darkness.

6. 06

   Establish the vase and foliage

   Paint the ceramic vase with titanium white + tiny touch of ultramarine and viridian, keeping it pale and cool with soft shadows on one side (use the blue-gray mix). Block in the deep green foliage with viridian + burnt sienna, working loosely around the vase form. The foliage should feel atmospheric and soft, not hard-edged.

7. 07

   Apply the magenta and white flowers

   Mix alizarin crimson + ultramarine for the magenta lilacs; don't make it a pure pink—there's depth and purple in this color. Dab and dash these blooms in loose clusters, allowing white paper and pale vase color to show through. Paint white flowers (ultramarine + white, not pure white) in vertical spikes among the magenta. Vary the flower density—sparse at edges, denser in the center—to suggest depth. The flowers should feel fresh and gestural, not botanical.

8. 08

   Paint the still-life elements and background details

   Add the yellow lemons using cadmium yellow + touch of burnt sienna and titanium white, placing them on the warm tan-brown table (cadmium yellow + burnt sienna + white). Paint the open book and the dark 'BIRLIUK' spine with your dark mix (ultramarine + burnt sienna); leave white paper for the page. Add the small sailing boat in the distance using burnt sienna for the hull and ultramarine for the sail, keeping it distant and small. The white flowers in the background should be suggested with a few quick strokes.

9. 09

   Refine edges, deepen darks, and unify the whole

   Step back and assess. Sharpen edges where the figure meets the background—particularly the silhouette of the head and shoulder against the sky. Deepen shadows in the jacket if needed, but avoid overdarkening; the stripes should remain textural. Add final touches of pure white to the vase highlights and collar catch-lights. Soften any harsh transitions between the face and background. The painting should feel complete but painterly—visible brushwork throughout, not photographic.

• Overblending the face—this portrait has soft edges but still retains visible brushwork and character. Don't sand it smooth; let the paint live on the surface.
• Making the magenta flowers too bright or uniform in color. They're rich and varied in tone; mix in blues and deeper reds to avoid a flat, poster-like effect.
• Rendering the jacket pattern too mechanically. The diagonal stripes should feel gestural and slightly irregular, echoing the energy of post-impressionist painting rather than looking like careful weaving.
• Losing the luminosity of the sky and water by not letting your underpainting show through. Resist the urge to cover every inch; strategic transparency keeps the work fresh.
• Painting the eyes too large or too detailed relative to the face. They're the focal point, but they're still small, subtle, and contemplative—not staring intensely.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility