plate no. 5223

Miss Eveleen Tennant

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfiguredressfoliagebaskethat

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practice creating depth and texture with layered brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the figure's proportions and placement within the frame.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, dress, foliage, and basket, using thin washes.
step 03
Develop the values in the face, gradually building up highlights and shadows to create form.
step 04
Work on the details of the dress, paying attention to the folds and textures.
step 05
Paint the foliage in the background, using a variety of greens and browns to create depth.
step 06
Add details to the basket and the ferns inside, focusing on texture and form.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create a sense of realism.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · cadmium red · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · viridian · yellow ochre · cerulean blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, and a touch of yellow ochre and umber; create the dress color by mixing red and umber, adjusting with white for highlights and black for shadows; mix greens from viridian and yellow ochre, adjusting with umber for darker shades.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·layering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Making the skin tones look flat and lifeless.
→Overworking the details of the dress and foliage.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, cadmium red, titanium white, ivory black, viridian, yellow ochre, cerulean blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags