plate no. 0525
Portrait of a girl
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as blending techniques for soft transitions.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by blocking in large areas of color.
- step 03
Begin layering skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle details.
- step 05
Add details to the dress, capturing the folds and highlights.
- step 06
Develop the background foliage, using loose brushstrokes and varying shades of green.
- step 07
Adjust values and colors to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium red light
secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · ivory black
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and small amounts of red and umber; create greens by mixing yellow and blue, and adjust with umber for muted tones.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·color mixing
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones
- →Incorrect proportions of the face
- →Muddy colors in the background
- →Ignoring subtle value changes
- →Lack of blending
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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