plate no. 9285

Mrs. Andrew Sigourney

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigureclothingheadwearjewelrychair

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and chair.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted brown tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the skin tones, the black dress, the red shawl, and the white headwear and ruff.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying close attention to subtle variations in color and value to create form.
step 05
Add details to the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth, focusing on capturing the likeness of the subject.
step 06
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds and textures of the dress, shawl, headwear, and ruff.
step 07
Refine the background and add any final details, such as the jewelry and the chair.
step 08
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing titanium white, yellow ochre, and a touch of cadmium red light. Use burnt umber and ivory black for the dark background, and mix alizarin crimson with cadmium red light for the shawl.

techniques