plate no. 7475

Mrs Richard Day

oilRealismportraitportraitfigurewomanclothingfacehair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, rendering skin tones, and creating subtle value changes to model form. It also offers practice in capturing the likeness and expression of a subject.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, paying attention to proportions and placement of the figure.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 03
Refine the skin tones by layering and blending colors, focusing on subtle value changes to create form.
step 04
Add details to the facial features, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying close attention to accuracy.
step 05
Paint the clothing and background, using darker values to create contrast and depth.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create a sense of volume and dimension.
step 07
Refine the details and edges, softening or hardening them as needed.
step 08
Add final touches and adjustments to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Mix the skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of alizarin crimson. Use raw umber and ivory black for the dark areas and background. Add small amounts of blue to darken the shadows.

techniques