plate no. 8179

Portrait of a Girl in Blue and Brown (Inez)

Helene Schjerfbeck, 1944

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguregirlhairclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying forms and using a limited color palette to create a cohesive and expressive portrait. It also encourages experimentation with visible brushstrokes to add texture and visual interest.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and hair, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of the dominant brown/ochre color.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face using a limited palette of browns, reds, and white.
step 04
Paint the hair using dark brown or black, simplifying the form into large shapes.
step 05
Apply the blue color for the shirt, using horizontal brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth, but keeping the details minimal.
step 07
Add subtle highlights and shadows to the shirt to create depth.
step 08
Review the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments to balance the colors and values.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black

Mix skin tones by combining raw umber, burnt sienna, and white. Add small amounts of blue to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. The blue for the shirt is a mix of ultramarine blue and white, with a touch of raw umber to dull the color slightly.

techniques

·dry brushing
·color mixing
·simplifying forms
·blocking in
·limited palette

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details of the face, losing the expressive simplicity of the original.
→Using too many colors, creating a muddy or disharmonious effect.
→Ignoring the importance of brushstroke direction in creating texture.
→Not paying attention to the subtle value changes in the skin tones.