plate no. 0985

Portrait d'une Américaine

oilImpressionismportraitfigureportraitchairwomanbikiniindoor

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice color mixing for skin tones and learn how to suggest form with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and creating a sense of depth through layering.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure and chair, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with broad strokes of gray and blue.
step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a mix of browns, yellows, and reds.
step 04
Paint the bikini with a base layer of yellow-orange.
step 05
Begin defining the form of the figure by adding shadows and highlights to the skin.
step 06
Paint the chair using various shades of blue and turquoise, suggesting the wicker pattern with broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the facial features and add details to the hair.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · ultramarine blue

secondary · cadmium yellow · titanium white · alizarin crimson

Skin tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and alizarin crimson with varying amounts of white. The chair color is created by mixing ultramarine blue with white and a touch of yellow.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·alla prima
·color mixing
·blocking in

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Not paying attention to the proportions of the figure.
→Making the skin tones too flat and lifeless.
→Struggling with the complexity of the chair's wicker pattern.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, titanium white, alizarin crimson)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife