plate no. 1515
Portrait of a girl
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and using subtle color variations to create form. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, face, and hair.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color with thin washes.
- step 03
Gradually build up the values and details, focusing on the light and shadow.
- step 04
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the eyes and mouth.
- step 05
Add details to the hair and clothing.
- step 06
Soften edges and blend colors as needed.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows.
- step 08
Check for accuracy and make any necessary adjustments.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson
Mix yellow ochre and burnt umber with white to create the skin tones. Add small amounts of blue and crimson to create shadows and variations in color.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·portrait sketching
- ·color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details
- →Using too much paint
- →Getting the proportions wrong
- →Not paying attention to the light and shadow
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·alizarin crimson oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 filbert brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
Use a medium-grit canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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