plate no. 9525

Miss Flora Robson as Lady Audley

Ethel Léontine Gabain, 1933

oilNeo-Romanticismportraitportraitfiguredressjewelrycurtainhair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering textures of clothing and jewelry. It also provides practice in color mixing and layering to achieve depth and dimension.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of color.
step 03
Block in the local colors of the skin, hair, dress, and curtain.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to refine the forms and create smooth transitions.
step 05
Add details to the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Render the textures of the dress, jewelry, and hair with varied brushstrokes.
step 07
Adjust the values and colors to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt umber · viridian green · alizarin crimson

Mix various shades of skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and blue. Achieve the red hair color by mixing cadmium red with a touch of burnt umber and alizarin crimson. Create the curtain color by mixing ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, and burnt umber.

techniques