plate no. 2268

Portrait of a Girl with a Hat

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigurehatgirlhairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice portrait proportions, mixing skin tones, and achieving soft watercolor washes. It also offers experience in rendering fabric folds and details in a hat.

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 and proportions of the head, hat, and shoulders.
step 02
Apply a thin, diluted wash of a warm neutral color (e.g., raw sienna) to the entire background.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, starting with very light washes of pink and yellow, gradually building up the darker areas of the face.
step 04
Paint the hair with a mix of browns, adding darker values to create depth and form.
step 05
Mix a blue-gray color for the clothing and apply in loose washes, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 06
Paint the hat using a combination of browns, yellows, and blacks, varying the values to create texture and dimension.
step 07
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small, precise brushstrokes.
step 08
Refine the overall composition by adding subtle shadows and highlights, and softening edges where needed.

color palette

primary · raw sienna · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre

Mix skin tones by combining red, yellow, and a touch of blue or brown. Achieve the blue-gray of the clothing by mixing ultramarine blue with burnt sienna and white. Use varying dilutions to control value.

techniques