plate no. 2717

Portrait de Madame Regnaud de Saint-Jean-d'Angély, née Laure Guesnon de Bonneuil (1776-1857)

oilNeoclassicismportraitportraitfiguredresslandscapeskycurtain

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, subtle color mixing for skin tones, and rendering of fabric and drapery. It also provides practice in creating atmospheric perspective in the background landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figure's pose and proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with thin washes of color, establishing the sky and landscape.
step 03
Establish the basic skin tones with a mid-tone base layer.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create the form of the face, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Block in the dress and sash with their respective base colors.
step 06
Add details to the dress, including folds, shadows, and highlights.
step 07
Refine the background and add details to the curtain and landscape.
step 08
Add final details, such as jewelry and subtle highlights.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · raw umber · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Skin tones are achieved through subtle mixes of white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue or umber for shadows. The dress is a mix of black, blue, and green. The red cushion is a mix of red and alizarin crimson.

techniques