plate no. 1709
Portrét Marie Terezie
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations, as well as rendering fabric and jewelry details.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and oval frame.
- step 02
Establish the light and shadow areas with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Block in the main colors of the skin, dress, and background.
- step 04
Refine the skin tones with subtle blending and layering.
- step 05
Add details to the dress, including the lace, pearls, and jewels.
- step 06
Paint the background and oval frame, paying attention to the subtle gradations of tone.
- step 07
Add final highlights and details to the face and dress.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the colors and add depth.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · Prussian blue
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black · gold
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber or blue; create the dress colors by mixing blue, white, and a touch of red or yellow.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·rendering fabric
- ·rendering jewelry
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
- →Failing to capture the subtle gradations of light and shadow.
- →Making the jewelry look flat and lifeless.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·Prussian blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·gold leaf
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paints and improve flow.
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