plate no. 2036

Miss Craigie

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfiguredresshairrococooval frame

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, subtle skin tone blending, and rendering the texture of fabric. It will also help with understanding light and shadow on a human face.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic oval composition and the figure's pose, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of browns and grays.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, dress, and hair with simplified color masses.
step 04
Begin layering skin tones, focusing on subtle variations in light and shadow.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 06
Refine the hair, adding individual strands and highlights to create volume.
step 07
Add the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality of the figure.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · ivory black

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. The dress is primarily white with subtle variations of gray and blue. The background is a mix of browns and grays.

techniques